From youth mobility to food exports: the outstanding EU dilemmas facing Burnham

A young woman looking at the Bundestag building in Berlin. Talks about the youth mobility agreement have been deadlocked. Photograph: Halyna Kavun/Alamy View image in fullscreen A young woman looking at the Bundestag building in Berlin. Talks about the youth mobility agreement have been deadlocked. Photograph: Halyna Kavun/Alamy Analysis From youth mobility to food exports: the outstanding EU dilemmas facing Burnham Jennifer Rankin in Brussels and Lisa O’Carroll in London European leaders have made positive noises about the new UK PM, but he is likely to face the same restrictions as Starmer UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham is unknown in Brussels, but that will soon change. In his schedule for the autumn is an EU-UK summit that may underscore the same dilemmas that have confronted previous British prime ministers in the relationship with Europe. EU leaders were quick to offer congratulations to Britain’s prime minister, the seventh since the 2016 Brexit referendum. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said she looked forward to strengthening the EU-UK partnership “for the security of our shared continent” and “the prosperity of people on both sides of the Channel”. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, invited Burnham to visit Berlin “very soon”, noting that the UK and Germany’s “deep connection is particularly evident in these times”. Georg Riekeles, a former adviser on the commission’s Brexit taskforce, told the Guardian: “People don’t know what to expect. But he also starts with a blank sheet of paper … and that can be an advantage.” The main concern, said Riekeles, who is now an associate director at the European Policy Centre, was whether Burnham would be “on the same trajectory” in terms of defence and security cooperation, energy and the “very positive agenda” on economic issues. One EU diplomat observed: “For a British prime minister it is not necessarily a bad thing to be little known. If you are well known it is probably because you were prominent on one side or the other of the Brexit debate.” Burnham’s most notable statement on the EU was his wish to see Britain rejoin in his lifetime , while speaking to the Guardian at the Labour party conference in September 2025. But during campaigning in the leave-voting constituency of Makerfield, he made it clear reversing Brexit was not a priority , because “Britain would be stuck in a permanent rut if we are just constantly arguing”. Michael Jacobs, who advised the former prime minister Gordon Brown, said Burnham’s statement on rejoining “felt like it was from the heart” but was also politically astute. “It tells pro-Europeans that he is one of them. But it tells leave voters that it’s not his political priority for now, and he is not going to relitigate the Brexit arguments.” Among the first calls Burnham had after entering No 10 were with von der Leyen, Merz and the French leader, Emmanuel Macron. He has appointed Hamish Falconer as the Europe minister, rep