Burnham’s EU shift left ministers seeking clarity, Observer reports

Andy Burnham’s opening towards closer EU ties has left ministers and officials trying to establish the government’s destination, according to new reporting by the Observer on Sunday. The newspaper says the prime minister’s conference announcement was not discussed by the cabinet beforehand.

Questions inside government

Rachel Sylvester cites unnamed officials describing surprise. An unnamed cabinet minister said important questions remained unanswered. These are the Observer’s accounts, rather than a published cabinet record.

Different views on the next step

The report contrasts Jonathan Reynolds’s warning against returning to the customs union with Wes Streeting’s support for eventual EU membership. Mark Leonard of the European Council on Foreign Relations argues that greater ambition could engage European leaders more effectively; that is his assessment.

An opening, not an accession timetable

Former senior diplomat Peter Ricketts expects substantial negotiations to depend on a subsequent election confirming a pro-European government. His forecast does not establish a timetable. The new report concerns the response to Burnham’s shift; it does not announce an agreement for Britain to rejoin the EU.