Andy Burnham and Labour chaos put UK's Brexit freedoms 'at great risk'
Andy Burnham and Labour chaos put UK's Brexit freedoms 'at great risk'
Dame Priti Patel issues dire warning following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister
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Add us as preferred source Comments By Steph Spyro, Deputy political editor and envionment editor, Aaron Newbury, Political Correspondent 17:00, Fri, Jun 26, 2026 
The country’s Brexit freedoms are “at great risk” because of Labour’s chaos, Dame Priti Patel has warned.
The Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary said Andy Burnham, who voted to remain in the bloc, will soon be “cosying up with EU leaders” if he becomes prime minister.
Mr Burnham said last September that he would like to see the UK back in the EU within his lifetime.
Dame Priti said: “Labour is proving so terrible at governing Britain, they want to hand power over to the EU’s army of unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats. With the turmoil in the Labour Party and change in prime minister coming, our Brexit freedoms are at great risk.
“Keir Starmer was a cheerleader for Remain and a leading campaigner for a second referendum. And Andy Burnham has never believed in Brexit either. He backed Remain and entertained the prospect of a second referendum too.
“Burnham will need to appease those in his party who want Britain back in the EU. So it won’t be long before we see images of him cosying up with EU leaders, offering them British taxpayers’ money and giving away powers.
“What Britain needs now is a Government that makes the most of our Brexit freedoms rather than one driven by a desire to fight the battles of 2016 all over again, and the bitterness of losing the argument back then.”
The former mayor of Greater Manchester promised last month not to "re-run" Brexit arguments, saying he was not proposing that the UK rejoin the European Union.
Senior Brexiteers have hit out at a potential Burnham premiership, warning he would be the biggest danger a proper Brexit has faced.
Former MEP David Campbell Bannerman said that outgoing Labour leader Sir Keir had been elected on a manifesto that ruled out shackling the country back to Brussels.
But Mr Bannerman said: "Burnham can claim he wasn't elected on that manifesto, which makes him dangerous.”
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He suggested the Makerfield MP could "increase the pace on rejoining the EU" as he branded Labour "simply totally untrustworthy" when it came to delivering Brexit.
Meanwhile, John Longworth, chief of the Independent Business Network of Family Business, raised alarms over the wannabe prime minister.
He warned that the "greatest mistake" Mr Burnham would make is trying to get closer to the EU, or rejoin it.
Mr Longworth said: “Burnham as PM and advised by [former chief economist at the Bank of England] Andy Haldane, has the potential to do the right things for growth and reverse the terrible choices made by Starmer and Reeves, but will he?
"The greatest mistake he is likely to make is trying to get closer to the EU or, worse still, rejoin.
Britain has already benefited from Brexit, outperforming France and Germany and the Eurozone, saving billions of EU fees and is set for growth: biotech, financial services, fintech and AI, all now free of EU red tape.
"Business and the City don’t want another bout of Brexit wrangling but prefer to look forward to a boosted Brexit Britain. Burnham needs to make his position on the declining EU clear from the start."
Britain marked 10 years since more than 17million people voted to leave the EU on Tuesday.
The Daily Express Give Us A Proper Brexit crusade has called for Britain to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, slash red tape for businesses and enforce a 12-mile exclusion zone around the UK for British vessels only.
The crusade has been backed by Reform UK and the Conservatives.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said: "Sir Keir Starmer has already begun dragging Britain back into the EU’s ambit, and Andy Burnham’s arrival will seal the deal. This is someone who has made it quite clear he wants Britain to rejoin the EU."
In a speech at a conference in Leeds last month, Mr Burnham said: "My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments."
He added: "I am not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU.
"I respect the decision that was made at the referendum and it is going to undermine everything I have said about strengthening democracy if we don't respect that vote."
Mr Burnham could become prime minister by the middle of next month if he is not challenged in the Labour leadership race to replace Sir Keir.
The Prime Minister resigned in an emotional statement outside No 10 on Monday, days after Mr Burnham won the crunch Makerfield by-election last week.
His constituency voted strongly for Brexit in 2016.
Despite seeking closer ties with Brussels, the Prime Minister has three “red lines” – returning to the customs union or the single market and allowing free movement – which he promised at the 2024 election would not be crossed.
It is unclear whether Mr Burnham would stick to these or not.
Robert Oulds, of the Bruges group think tank, which campaigns against re-joining the EU, said: “Burnham is set to betray Brexit. He owes his position to an internal coup carried out by a coalition of militant trade unionists, old-style tax and spend socialists, and pro-EU fanatics.
"The price they are charging him is opening up freedom of movement, billions more to be paid to the EU's Erasmus scheme, and foreign court's ruling in this country.
“If he had the courage, he would seek an immediate election to secure a mandate of his own. Instead, he will use Starmer's majority to undermine our democracy and ignore the wishes of his constituents who 10 years ago overwhelmingly voted to get Britain out.”
It comes as a UK-EU summit, which had been due to take place on July 22, was cancelled amid Labour’s chaos.
Andy Burnham and the Labour Party have been contacted for comment.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
