British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Brexit has “done more harm than good”, signalling a push for a broader national debate on the United Kingdom’s long-term relationship with the European Union.
Speaking at the annual Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Burnham said Britain needed to make a clear decision on its future relationship with the EU to chart what he described as a “clear path” for the country into the rest of the century.
He said the EU remained the UK’s largest market and that Britain could not afford to leave its future relationship with the bloc unresolved.
“Brexit has done more harm than good,” Burnham said, adding that he would use an upcoming summit to “lay out to the country” the different options available to Britain.
“And there are different options, and I will see if we can find consensus around one, which will give us clarity about our position and the future of the continent that we live in,” he said.
The United Kingdom formally left the European Union in 2020, four years after a referendum in which about 52 per cent of voters backed leaving the bloc.
Burnham said the government’s approach would be aimed at establishing a clearer long-term position on the UK’s relationship with Europe rather than leaving the issue unresolved.
The Prime Minister also announced plans for Labour to include a commitment to electoral reform in its next manifesto.
He said he was establishing a “new national commission on electoral reform” and invited political parties across the country to participate in its work.
“In past years, you have voted twice to support electoral reform. I hear you, I agree with you,” Burnham told Labour delegates.
“We will contest the next election with a manifesto commitment to change the electoral system so that everyone’s vote counts and everyone’s voice is heard,” he added.
