Burnham bets on Brexit reversal as talks enter final stretch

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is positioning the UK for a major shift in its relationship with Europe, arguing that a new agreement would be better for both sides than the current status quo. Speaking from Dublin on Wednesday, Burnham said the final outcome could look like the version of Brexit many voters thought they were choosing in 2016. He described the goal as a win-win and expressed confidence that such a deal is achievable.

The next major step is a bilateral summit in Brussels scheduled for next week. Officials plan to discuss food and drink standards, emissions trading, and a youth mobility scheme. The central point of contention is tuition fees for European students. The EU has signaled that it will not finalize the food deal or the emissions agreement unless Britain agrees to let EU students pay domestic rates.

Burnham acknowledged that the current arrangement is harder than many voters expected. He framed the reset as a move toward closer working relationships but did not explicitly accept the EU's demand to link tuition fees to other deals. He said he would fight hard for these benefits in the coming days, noting that they would help address the cost of living crisis in Britain.

The Prime Minister also clashed with former Prime Minister David Cameron, who recently argued that Britain’s current problems are unrelated to Brexit. Burnham countered that the evidence points to the opposite, citing low growth over the last decade. He characterized Cameron’s comments as a move to unify the Conservative party rather than to fight for British interests.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she wants to see Britain rejoin the EU, though she warned that negotiations would be difficult due to the lingering trauma from the Brexit years. Burnham is expected to make the reset the central theme of his speech at the Lord Mayor’s banquet on Monday night. Sources from No. 10 said the address would focus on the upcoming Brussels summit and the next stage of negotiations in 2027.

Discussions at the Dublin summit will also cover the agenda for the next round of the reset, which is expected to focus on a joint migration pact. Topics may include collaboration on law enforcement, borders, visas for touring artists, and the mutual recognition of qualifications. Ministry of Justice officials are working to soften an EU ultimatum regarding the deportation of foreign national offenders, with one Whitehall source describing it as a classic last-minute negotiating tactic.

A critical issue is access to the Made in Europe legislation, which could lock British firms out of continental supply chains if no deal is reached. The UK is considering making a concession on tuition fees in exchange for inclusion in this legislation. The EU has stated it cannot finalize a deal on Made in Europe at the summit because it has not yet settled its own position. The joint communique for 2027 is expected to call for strengthened efforts to address the small boats crisis in the Channel. The UK is pushing for access to the Eurodac database and the Schengen Information System.