With a Nov. 20 meeting with European Union leaders approaching, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday that an election was not imminent, even as his government considers closer ties.
Reuters reported that Burnham made the remark on ITV's Good Morning Britain after an interviewer asked when voters might see a manifesto proposing that Britain rejoin the European Union. “There is no election coming any time soon,” Burnham said. Burnham said he intended to keep governing and cast better relations with Europe as one way to restore the country's momentum and optimism.
Burnham has previously raised the possibility of Britain seeking EU membership in the future and called for discussion of free movement. Labour's 2024 manifesto ruled out restoring EU free movement and British membership in the bloc's single market or customs union, and Burnham has committed to that platform, AFP reported.
AFP reported that Burnham and EU leaders hope to reach agreements on food and drink, youth mobility and emissions trading at a Nov. 20 meeting in Brussels. Burnham has said he will set out options for closer UK-EU relations around the meeting, according to AFP.
