Story perspectives

Burnham pushes Brexit reset at Brussels summit for EU return

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 10:20 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Burnham Pushes Brexit Reset

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will use next month’s Brussels summit to push for a Brexit reset.
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said Burnham’s commitment to rejoining the EU is authentic.
Burnham warned MPs that ignoring a new EU deal would be a dereliction of duty.
Burnham claimed Brexit has caused more harm than good and pledged a major UK-EU relationship review.

Summary

Lange Urges UK Inclusion

German MEP Bernd Lange urged the EU to let the UK join the Made in Europe package.
France opposed the move, saying it would delay the 2024 tariff-aligned legislation targeting Chinese electric vehicles.
The Netherlands, Germany and Italy backed Burnham’s request for UK participation in the Industrial Accelerator Act.
Lange said a “Switzerland plus” deal, with Switzerland paying €375 million (£326 million) annually, could be negotiated within months.

History

Historical Context

The Maastricht Treaty, signed in 1992, transformed the European Communities into the European Union and launched the single market. The treaty initially bound twelve member states, including Germany and France, to adopt common policies and contributed roughly €2.5 billion in integration funds. Today, UK Labour leader Andy Burnham’s push for a Brexit reset mirrors the treaty’s ambition, as Germany’s Bernd Lange and the Netherlands lobby for UK inclusion in the Made in Europe package. If the EU adopts a ‘Switzerland-plus’ model, the United Kingdom could pay €375 million annually, reshaping cross-border industrial cooperation and setting a precedent for future accession talks.

1 of 3

Burnham Pushes Brexit Reset

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will use next month’s Brussels summit to push for a Brexit reset.
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said Burnham’s commitment to rejoining the EU is authentic.
Burnham warned MPs that ignoring a new EU deal would be a dereliction of duty.
Burnham claimed Brexit has caused more harm than good and pledged a major UK-EU relationship review.

1 / 3