Andy Burnham has made cabinet appointments and held early calls with EU leaders that suggest his government may pursue a bolder renegotiation of Brexit than his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer. Just a day into his premiership, the removal of Nick Thomas-Symonds, who led Starmer's Brexit reset negotiations, and his replacement by Hamish Falconer signals a potential shift in approach, though it remains unclear whether this will amount to a fundamental change or merely an adjustment of the existing strategy.

Falconer, previously Middle East and Africa minister and son of former lord chancellor Lord Charlie Falconer, brings Foreign Office experience of Brexit-related trade barriers, while Ed Miliband's move to the Foreign Office, replacing Yvette Cooper, brings in another vocal Brexit critic. Burnham has previously expressed support for the UK rejoining the EU, though Labour's manifesto commits to not rejoining the single market or customs union. Downing Street readouts of Burnham's calls with European Council president António Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen referenced building a "closer and ambitious relationship" and working towards a UK-EU summit later in the year.