In The Room | Is Andy Burnham about to reignite the Brexit wars?

Ten years after the Brexit referendum, Europe is back at the centre of Westminster politics. Andy Burnham is preparing for major EU summits in Dublin and Brussels, hoping to forge a closer relationship with Britain’s European neighbours - but his ambitions are already exposing tensions inside his Cabinet and reopening Labour’s most politically dangerous argument. With the UK facing a long-term productivity and trade hit from Brexit, the question is no longer simply whether the EU matters, but whether Britain can improve its position without breaking promises made to Leave-voting communities.

This week, Helen and Cleo ask what Britain could realistically gain from a closer EU relationship, why Burnham’s approach is proving so difficult, and who in Whitehall actually holds the pen. They examine the mixed messages from ministers, the limits of “cherry-picking” access to the single market, and why rejoining - or even negotiating a better deal - would take years rather than days. They also ask whether Burnham’s instinct to float big ideas is creating a familiar pattern of confusion, Cabinet division, and political traps of his own making.

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