Union Pressure on Andy Burnham to Pursue a Softer Brexit

The Prospect union’s motion adds that the partnership should be guided by the national interest rather than “arbitrary red lines,” and that no options should be excluded. All major unions at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference are projected to support the motion, with the RMT rail union the only notable dissenting voice.

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Burnham’s approach mirrors Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s current red-line policy, which rejects re-joining the single market, customs union, or freedom of movement while still seeking closer trade ties. The i Paper reported that Starmer previously dropped a pledge to re-join the EU during his Makerfield by-election campaign. Labour’s broader grassroots are increasingly calling for the red lines to be “ripped up,” arguing that they constrain the UK’s ability to secure a beneficial deal.

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Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy criticised Starmer’s red lines as unnecessary constraints that make a good deal harder to obtain. EU Relations Minister Hamish Falconer is set to ask his European counterpart Maroš Šefcovic to include Britain in the EU’s “buy European” protectionist scheme. Burnham himself has blamed Brexit for a decade of low economic growth but has not detailed how his plans differ from Starmer’s.

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If the TUC motion passes, unions will send a clear message to the government in the week leading up to the Labour Party conference, potentially increasing pressure on Burnham to pursue a softer Brexit stance. The government’s stated intent to explore broader cooperation—including trade, defence, and possible single-market integration—suggests that negotiations could intensify, though concrete policy shifts remain to be outlined.

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