Burnham to push for new post-Brexit deals at EU summit
Prime Minister Andy Burnham tells MPs he will push for deeper post-Brexit cooperation with the EU on food, energy, and security at next month's summit.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Andy Burnham will push for new post-Brexit deals at next month's EU summit
- Focus areas include youth mobility, food and drink, energy, and tackling illegal immigration
- The agreements could potentially add £10bn per year to the economy by 2040
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the move for unpicking previous agreements
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has informed MPs that he intends to press for new post-Brexit arrangements with the European Union during an upcoming summit next month. He emphasized that establishing deeper cooperation on critical issues such as food, drink, energy, and youth mobility will serve as a vital catalyst for the UK's economic growth.
Addressing current trade friction, Burnham highlighted that entire truckloads of fresh produce have previously been written off due to minor paperwork delays or a single missing stamp. He noted that Scottish salmon currently faces a 100% rate of document checks at the border, costing the industry approximately £100m in lost exports, while regional items like Scottish seed potatoes and Welsh shellfish remain banned.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Burnham argued that securing fresh agreements could cut red tape, ease cost-of-living pressures in supermarkets, and lower wholesale energy costs by 20% in Northern Ireland through emissions trading cooperation. Furthermore, he aims to rebuild operational links with EU police and security agencies to enhance information sharing and combat smuggling networks.
This policy shift illustrates the current administration's pragmatic strategy to recalibrate trade relations with the UK's largest export market without formally rejoining the single market or customs union. However, navigating these new terms could prove complex given existing legal clauses within the more than 70 post-Brexit trade deals the UK has established globally with other nations.
"At present entire truckloads of plants or fresh produce can be destroyed because of a single missing stamp or a minor paperwork delay."
Andy Burnham
In response, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of unpicking the original agreement reached a decade after the referendum and giving away his entire negotiating strategy ahead of the talks. Former trade minister Nigel Huddleston also cautioned that unwinding these restrictions might not be straightforward due to regulatory clauses embedded in numerous international trade deals.
Source: BBC Politics
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment