Burnham should scrap Labour’s red lines on Brexit and get closer to EU, voters say
Andy Burnham is facing calls to abandon Labour's Brexit "red lines" after a new poll found strong public appetite for closer ties with the European Union. Research from think tank British Future showed 56 per cent of voters would back the new prime minister going beyond the red lines set by his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, which rule out rejoining the customs union, single market or free movement. The findings add pressure on Burnham ahead of an EU summit later this year, despite No 10 insisting the government remains committed to those limits.
The poll also found 57 per cent support a reciprocal youth mobility scheme for 18-30-year-olds, with only 12 per cent opposed, and just one in five people believe Brexit has been a success, with 57 per cent calling it more of a failure. Some 46 per cent said they would vote to rejoin the EU against 29 per cent who would stay out. Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and Welwyn Hatfield MP Andrew Lewin both urged Burnham to move faster on rebuilding EU relations, while British Future's Sunder Katwala said voters have "pragmatic permission" for closer cooperation, tempered by caution over free movement and another referendum.
In short
- Poll: 56% of voters want Burnham to exceed Labour's Brexit red lines
- 57% back a youth mobility deal with the EU this autumn
- Only one in five voters view Brexit as a success
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The poll suggests many voters would welcome closer EU ties, and supporters argue that revisiting Labour’s red lines could help reduce trade barriers, expand opportunities for young people and reflect public doubts about Brexit. They see a reciprocal youth mobility scheme and deeper cooperation as practical steps that need not amount to rejoining the EU or restoring unrestricted free movement.
The case against
Supporters of keeping the red lines argue that the government should honour its stated limits and avoid reopening divisive arguments over Brexit. They may favour selective cooperation, such as youth mobility, while maintaining control over migration and protecting the UK’s ability to set its own rules; poll support for closer ties does not necessarily settle which changes voters would accept.
Explained simply
The UK left the European Union in 2020, but it still trades and co-operates with the EU under agreements made since then. Labour has ruled out rejoining the EU’s customs union or single market, and restoring free movement, which allows people to live and work across borders.
Andy Burnham is a senior Labour politician, while Sir Keir Starmer led the party before him and set those limits. The debate is about how far the UK should deepen its ties with the EU, including whether young adults should be able to live and work in each other’s countries for a limited time.
These choices affect trade, travel and work between the UK and Europe. They also matter for the government’s relationship with the EU and how it responds to public views about Brexit.
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