Key facts
- Andy Burnham will urge MPs to pursue closer ties with the EU.
- Burnham argues that the current post-Brexit status quo is a "major dereliction of duty."
- He believes closer cooperation could help tackle illegal immigration and boost economic growth.
- A petition calling for Britain to rejoin the EU has garnered over 111,000 signatures.
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the idea of reopening the Brexit debate "a terrible idea."
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, is set to address the UK Parliament urging lawmakers to reconsider Britain's relationship with the European Union and pursue closer ties. He will argue that maintaining the current post-Brexit status quo is a "major dereliction of duty" and that improved cooperation could bolster economic growth and enhance immigration controls.
Burnham's statement comes as MPs return from recess and ahead of an upcoming UK-EU summit. He plans to advocate for a pragmatic and clear-eyed assessment of the UK's relationship with Europe, suggesting that the public would support opportunities for greater cooperation if they strengthen border controls and revive the economy. He previously stated that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum.