Burnham: Brexit deal insufficient for Britain

Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated on Monday that the current Brexit agreement is not sufficient for the British public. He argued that the post-referendum outcome was harsher than promised during the campaign and has left the nation's economic and border controls worse off.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Burnham said the country experienced a harder Brexit than proposed. He noted that the arrangement has failed to assist in managing the small boats crisis. The prime minister explained that leaving the EU reduced the UK's ability to return people to Europe, a factor he cited as a primary driver for the rise in small boat crossings.

"I am not going to say at the moment that the deal we’ve got is good enough for Britain. I don’t think it is good enough," Burnham said. He added that Brexit has weakened the economy and undermined immigration control, an outcome that may surprise those who viewed border security as a central goal of the vote.

When asked if he intended to rejoin the European Union, Burnham said he would like to see it happen in his lifetime but would not act without public mandate. "I’ve said I’m going to be honest and say in my lifetime I would like to see that happen, but I am not going to move ahead of the public," he told the show. He emphasized that the British public must remain the decision-makers.

The prime minister clarified that he does not propose rejoining the EU during the current parliament. He described that scenario as distant and instead called for practical steps to improve the existing arrangement. Burnham stated he would not depart from the red lines established in Labour's manifesto.

Burnham referenced the 65 percent leave vote in his Makerfield constituency. He reiterated that the government would not rerun the referendum. "The British public, the people of Makerfield, will be the bosses here," he said. He said his role is to make practical improvements to how the current setup functions.

The prime minister supported Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's plan to require foreign workers to wait 15 years for permanent residency. He described settlement as a right to be earned rather than automatically granted. Burnham also said he hopes the UK-EU summit on 20 November will produce a deal that aids British food manufacturers, who have been heavily affected by Brexit.