British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would like the United Kingdom to become part of the European Union again during his lifetime. However, he stressed that such a step could not be taken without public support.
During an interview on ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” programme on Monday, Burnham was asked whether he wanted Britain to rejoin the EU. He answered in the affirmative, but stressed that the will of the people should play the central role in any future decision.
Të lidhura
None found
“I will be honest and say that, during my lifetime, I would like to see it happen, but I will not proceed without taking public opinion into account,” he said.
Burnham clarified that he had no intention of imposing his views on the British people. According to him, any decision on the future of relations with the European Union must be based on the will of the people.
He argued that Brexit did not deliver on the promises made during the 2016 referendum, a process that ended with the United Kingdom leaving the European Union.
“We had a harder Brexit than was proposed during the referendum campaign,” the prime minister said, claiming that this situation had damaged the country’s economy and weakened controls on immigration.
Although he has expressed a desire for a possible return, Burnham ruled out new EU membership during the current parliamentary term. He said such a goal remained a long way off.
For now, the British prime minister is seeking to improve the existing agreement between London and Brussels through concrete measures that would make cooperation between the two sides more effective.
In an interview with the “Sunday Times”, Burnham also said that freedom of movement within the European Union should not be ruled out from the outset in future negotiations.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and the European Union are expected to hold a summit in November. The meeting will address technical issues related to the current relationship between the two sides and will not focus on Britain’s possible return to the European bloc.
