Andy Burnham said that the United Kingdom "lost more than it gained" from Brexit

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the Government question session in the House of Commons, in London, United Kingdom (REUTERS/Toby Melville)The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham, stated that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as a bloc "lost more than it gained" since its exit from the European Union in 2020, and anticipated that he will seek new agreements with Brussels to reduce food prices and benefit British exporters. During the Welsh Labour Party conference, Burnham accused Conservative governments of having "burned all the bridges" with the European bloc after Brexit, and argued that the United Kingdom must adopt "difficult decisions to reduce the cost of living." "I believe we have lost more than we have gained over the last ten years, and in fact I believe the Conservatives gave Britain a harder and harsher Brexit than people thought they were going to get when they voted in 2016, because they burned all our bridges with the EU afterwards, so I am going to lead as prime minister on this issue, and I am going to try to get the best possible deal for Wales, for those here who could benefit," he asserted. The head of Government plans to meet with European leaders next week at a summit. As he indicated, he hopes to reach understandings on food and agriculture, emissions trading, and a youth mobility program. According to Burnham, those agreements could raise the gross domestic product by 0.4%, equivalent to about 20,376 million euros. The leader also noted that he will examine options to redefine the relationship between the United Kingdom and Brussels in the long term. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham attends the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph, in Whitehall, London (United Kingdom), on November 8, 2026 (REUTERS/Toby Melville) "And yes, we will work with the European Union, as I have already said, but at the same time we will respect the red lines of our electoral program and the result of the referendum. That is the spirit I will maintain, friends, and that I will continue to push forward," he stated. Burnham had suggested in earlier statements that he does not rule out a possible return to the single market, the customs union, or even rejoining the European Union. This Saturday he specified that the decision on any change will rest with the citizenry. "Burnham's signals are very positive, although nobody believes the United Kingdom will rejoin the bloc in our lifetimes," said a European diplomat quoted by the AFP agency. The British Government has announced measures in recent months to strengthen its relations with the European Union. This week, the Cabinet minister in charge of negotiations with the bloc, Hamish Falconer, stated that the United Kingdom is considering a financial contribution to infrastructure projects in the most disadvantaged regions of the European Union, in exchange for access to the European electricity market. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the Government question session in the House of Commons, in London, United Kingdom (REUTERS/Toby Melville) Burnham will travel on Friday, November 20, to Brussels to negotiate a new bilateral agreement with the European Union, focused on measures concerning agricultural products, youth mobility, and university tuition fees. The talks point toward an understanding limited to specific areas, including phytosanitary rules for agricultural sector goods, greater flexibility for youth exchanges, and a reduction in university tuition fees. The possibility of a broader pact, with a timetable for the United Kingdom's return to the European Union, is not part of the planned negotiations. Within the Labour Party there are divergent positions on a possible reopening of the debate on rejoining the bloc. Several ministers expressed reservations about the possibility of pushing that discussion in the short term. (With information from AFP and Europa Press)