Andy Burnham makes major EU U-turn after Wes Streeting sparks Brexit battle

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May 18, 2026 - 18:38

Andy Burnham makes major EU U-turn after Wes Streeting sparks Brexit battle

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has made a major U-turn on rejoining the European Union after Wes Streeting sparked a Brexit battle within the Labour Party.

Speaking at an event in Leeds, Mr Burnham distanced himself from comments made at last year's Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

The Greater Manchester Mayor had claimed he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime.

However, in an about-turn, Mr Burnham said: "I'm not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU.

"I respect the decision that was made at the referendum, and it's going to undermine everything I've said about respecting democracy if we don't respect that vote.

"If we are to unify communities and the country, it means focusing on the big economic challenges we have, the structural problems."

He added: "My view is that Brexit has been damaging. But I also believe the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments.

"Britain will be stuck in a permanent rut if we’re just constantly arguing and people are pulling away from each other. It is time surely, isn’t it, to bring people back together, to focus on what we’ve got in common, to get the growth coming to all places. That is what we need in this moment."