UK PM Andy Burnham vows to renegotiate post-Brexit trade deal with EU

Published On 12 Oct 202612 Oct 2026.

Key points

• UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to push for closer relations with the European Union, confirming he will attend a bilateral summit in Brussels next month.
• Addressing parliament on Monday, Burnham remarked parts of the trade agreement agreed with the EU after the UK voted to leave in 2016 would be renegotiated.
• The prime minister, who came into office in July, remarked the agreements could reverse some of the "damage" done to the post-Brexit British economy.
• He informed MPs that Britain needed to "take a calm, clear-eyed look at the world as it is today".
• "Sticking to the status quo is not good enough, " he remarked, adding that "public opinion currently supports a pragmatic approach like the one I am suggesting".

According to Burnham, the British public would be "the boss" at every stage of renegotiating Britain's relationship with the EU and that he wanted "serious dialogue" concerning long-term ties.

He informed members of parliament that his focus at the summit would be boosting expansion in the economy and controlling illegal immigration.

As well as a "new youth experience scheme" and deeper cooperation on immigration, among the topics of discussion at November's summit are cutting bureaucracy for British food exports and emissions trading.

Meanwhile, the prime minister, who came into office in July, remarked the agreements could reverse some of the "damage" done to the post-Brexit British economy.

After his address, the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, remarked Burnham would be unable to secure a better agreement as the EU was " tough negotiators" and cautioned that he had already "shown his hand".

Taken together, the developments around UK PM Andy Burnham vows to renegotiate post point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.