# Andy Burnham accuses Tories of ‘burning bridges’ with EU over Brexit

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/andy-burnham-accuses-tories-of-burning-bridges-with-eu-over-brexit/
- Published: 2026-11-14T15:29:37+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T23:08:55+00:00
- Original publisher: The Independent (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-eu-brexit-labour-b3084959.html
- Topics: Europe, Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Burnham says Brexit damaged the UK’s relationship with the EU.
- He supports closer cooperation while respecting the referendum result.
- Cameron warns that debate over rejoining could hinder better ties.

## Summary

Andy Burnham said the Conservatives had “burned all of our bridges” with the EU after Brexit, arguing that Britain had lost more than it gained over the past decade. He backed closer cooperation with the EU while saying any changes should respect Labour’s manifesto commitments and the 2016 referendum result, with voters ultimately deciding.

Speaking at Welsh Labour conference, Burnham said the UK had experienced a harder Brexit than voters expected. In Wales, 52.5 per cent voted to leave in 2016, compared with 47.5 per cent who voted to remain. The prime minister is due to meet EU leaders in Brussels next week to sign agreements on food and farming, emissions trading and youth mobility, which he says could raise GDP by 0.4 per cent. David Cameron warned that pursuing EU re-entry could be a long, painful debate and might hinder efforts to strengthen the UK’s partnership with the bloc.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.