Russia and the 2016 vote

Andy Burnham, who took office as prime minister in July after Keir Starmer, said on Sunday, 11 October, that it was 'clear' the Kremlin had been involved in the 2016 Brexit referendum. He became the first British prime minister to accuse Russia openly of meddling in that vote, which Leave won 52% to 48%. He said on The Rest Is Politics podcast that he asked the question soon after arriving in Downing Street and received a clear yes. He offered no evidence that the Kremlin tried to influence the June 2016 referendum. Downing Street later said the prime minister 'absolutely' accepts the result and regards it as legitimate, while the foreign secretary said Russia had tried to interfere but failed.

Burnham also said Friedrich Merz had told him during talks in Berlin that the AfD is clearly linked to Russia and, in Merz's view, financed by it. He added that Russian disinformation and manipulation are shaping German politics. He argued that voters need clearer information about hostile states trying to destabilise democratic processes, as far-right parties gain ground in the UK and across the EU.

A reset with Brussels

In a statement to the Commons, Burnham said he would use the UK-EU summit in Brussels on 20 November to push for a reset. He called it a 'dereliction of duty' not to pursue a more advantageous arrangement, and said the 'status quo is not good enough'. He claimed deals on the table could add £10 billion a year to the economy by 2040, 'with the potential to add significantly more'. The agenda includes a food and drink trade agreement, linking energy systems, an emissions trading regime and a youth mobility programme. Burnham said growth and controlling illegal migration would also feature, and that he would 'work harder over the next five weeks' to strike a deal. Asked whether he would honour the 2016 result, he said he believed the vote was legitimate and would respect it, while preparing to 'set out options' Britain should consider.

He told MPs his chances of success would improve if he stayed open to talks on the relationship over the longer term.

I believe our chances of doing so will be enhanced by being open to discussion about our relationship with the EU in the longer term.

Opposition and outside pressure

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, accused Burnham of 'undoing' the withdrawal agreement and said he would not get a better deal, because the EU are tough negotiators. In the Commons, a Westminster Hall debate led by Labour's Tony Vaughan considered a petition calling on the UK to rejoin the EU. The European Movement UK has published a plan for the UK to rejoin the bloc by 2036 at the latest. Frankfurter Allgemeine reports that nearly 60% of Britons now consider Brexit a mistake. Burnham's position is that the 2016 result stands, even as he presses for a closer relationship and leaves open the option of a future return.

What comes next

The summit is set for 20 November, after being postponed following Keir Starmer's resignation. Burnham has said that 'at every stage, the British public will be the boss' of the process. Frankfurter Allgemeine reports that some expect him to call an early election to win his own mandate, although his Commons majority would let him govern for three more years. The International Monetary Fund has meanwhile upgraded its UK growth forecast for the year, adding an economic backdrop to the EU debate.