UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has telegraphed his next major move, setting up an election with Brexit on the chopping block. He is leading an international effort to paint Britain’s choice to leave the EU as a Russian-manipulated outcome, justifying a revisiting of the question. He accused Russia of meddling not only with the 2026 vote, but with other European elections as well.
UK and EU confirm date of summit after Burnham says Russian meddling shows the need for closer ties– abcnews.com
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LONDON — Russia’s attempts to meddle in European politics show why Britain must forge a closer relationship with the European Union, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday, arguing that “the status quo is not good enough.”
Burnham said that attempts by Russia to interfere in democratic votes across Europe, including Britain’s 2016 EU membership referendum, highlight the importance of strengthening the U.K.’s links with its neighbors, years after they were weakened by Brexit.
He told lawmakers in the House of Commons that it would be “a dereliction of duty” not to seek stronger ties with the 27-nation bloc that the U.K. left in 2020.
The statement comes after Burnham told the Labour Party’s annual conference last month that “Brexit has done more harm than good” and that the bare-bones trade deal Britain has with the EU is holding the country back. He said he will seek political consensus on a new relationship, with future options including rejoining the bloc.
