Andy Burnham is unknown in Brussels, but that will soon change. In his schedule for the autumn is an EU-UK summit that may underscore the same dilemmas that have confronted previous British prime ministers in the relationship with Europe. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
EU leaders were quick to offer congratulations to Britain's seventh prime minister since the 2016 Brexit referendum. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she looked forward to strengthening the EU-UK partnership. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited Burnham to visit Berlin.
Georg Riekeles, a former adviser on the commission's Brexit taskforce, told the Guardian: "People don't know what to expect. But he also starts with a blank sheet of paper … and that can be an advantage." He expressed concern whether Burnham would be on the same trajectory in defence, energy and economic issues.
One EU diplomat observed: "For a British prime minister it is not necessarily a bad thing to be little known. If you are well known it is probably because you were prominent on one side or the other of the Brexit debate."
Burnham's most notable statement on the EU was his wish to see Britain rejoin in his lifetime. But during campaigning, he made it clear reversing Brexit was not a priority.
Among the first calls Burnham had after entering No 10 were with von der Leyen, Merz and French leader Emmanuel Macron. He has appointed Hamish Falconer as Europe minister, who previously served as Middle East minister.
The return of Johnny Reynolds as business secretary will help in talks on protecting European trade from China and scrapping a 10% tariff on car exports.
Under Starmer, the UK and EU signed a security and defence pact. Now Burnham inherits the reset agenda. The two sides are due to sign three agreements at the summit: a deal to reduce paperwork for fresh food exports, linking emissions trading systems, and a youth exchange scheme for 18- to 30-year-olds.
Ireland's Europe minister Thomas Byrne said diplomatic preparations for the summit are underway. Talks have been deadlocked over the youth mobility agreement. EU member states think the UK's proposed cap on numbers is too low and oppose their nationals paying the NHS surcharge and higher tuition fees.
Michael Jacobs suggested Burnham may raise the cap on numbers. But when it comes to the UK-EU economic relationship, Burnham will face the same constraints as Starmer. The EU rejected Starmer's attempt to negotiate a single market for goods.