# UK wants deeper post-Brexit relationship with EU under Burnham, says minister

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/uk-wants-deeper-post-brexit-relationship-with-eu-under-burnham-says-minister/
- Published: 2026-08-10T07:21:10+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-24T12:46:33+00:00
- Original publisher: The Independent (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-hamish-falconer-labour-andy-burnham-reset-b3030180.html
- Topics: Americas, Europe, Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Minister Hamish Falconer wants a deeper, more ambitious UK-EU relationship
- Government says it still won't rejoin single market, customs union or free movement
- Separate proposal floats UK defence guarantees in exchange for single market access

## Summary

Hamish Falconer, the government minister leading post-Brexit negotiations with the EU, has said he wants a "deeper" and "more ambitious" relationship with the bloc, particularly around services trade, as Andy Burnham's team seeks to build on the reset talks begun under Sir Keir Starmer. The comments matter because they signal Labour's continued appetite for closer EU ties even as ministers insist they remain bound by manifesto "red lines" ruling out rejoining the customs union, single market or accepting free movement of labour, leaving open questions about how far any future negotiations could go.

Falconer, appointed as Burnham's top EU negotiator last month, told The Guardian he was especially keen to make progress on services, an area where the EU itself is less integrated and where he sees scope to go further. He stressed the negotiating relationship with Brussels was friendly and values-driven, contrasting it with his past experience negotiating with the Taliban. Separately, the Telegraph reported that a proposal drawn up by former Tory MP Nick Boles, seen by officials including national security adviser Jonathan Powell, suggests Britain could offer to extend its armed forces' and nuclear deterrent's protection across Europe in exchange for rejoining the EU's single market, part of a wider idea for a "European confederation" linking trade and Nato defence commitments.

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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.