Prime Minister Burnham Blames Brexit for UK Economic Woes, Seeks Closer EU Ties

Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday reiterated his stance that Brexit is responsible for a decade of low growth in Britain.

He vowed to use an upcoming summit with European Union leaders to continue efforts to bring the UK closer to the EU, building on work initiated by his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer. Burnham told Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey that a closer relationship is imperative for British steel and farming. In his first appearance in the House of Commons since becoming Prime Minister on Tuesday, Burnham stated that "Britain is not where any of us would wish it to be" due to a series of wrong turns since the 1980s, including hollowing out councils, austerity measures, and Brexit.

He promised substantial change and to restore hope, with the government's budget to be unveiled at the end of October. Burnham is preparing to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in London, and Britain will hold fresh talks with Mauritius next week to advance Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal. Foreign Office minister Uma Kumaran confirmed plans to revive the Chagos deal and fund it from the defense budget.

Pollsters have warned that the "Burnham bounce" in popularity has lost its spring, with pollster John Curtice stating it ended after two weeks. Burnham faces a gathering economic storm, including rising government borrowing costs and the prospect of another interest rate increase. He did not pledge renationalizing utilities but expressed a desire for stronger public control over these essentials.