Political editor David Maddox looks at the implication of European affairs minister Hamish Falconer suggesting rejoin could be part of a future Labour manifesto
Andy Burnham’s new European affairs minister Hamish Falconer had the look of someone who has been asked to talk at a polite dinner about religion, death or some other equally taboo subject when he was asked about Brexit by Sky News on Monday morning.
But for all his awkwardness on the subject, the man who the prime minister has asked to negotiate with the European Union (EU) over a reset could not help but confirm what we all suspected to be true – Mr Burnham does not think Keir Starmer’s reset was good enough.
What is more, he has left the door open to the UK rejoining the EU at a future point – something Sir Keir’s government had tried to close firmly shut.
For all his kind words about the work of his predecessor Nick Thomas-Symonds – who was handed a very tight brief to negotiate a reset on with near impossible red lines – Mr Falconer has already indicated, just days into the job, that he wants to do much more.
While listing the areas on importing food and drink, border controls, electricity cooperation and more, Mr Falconer admitted that “this is a changed world” and “I want to do more”.
The summit where a deal was supposed to be signed was postponed this month because of the change of prime minister. But obviously there are now new talks to be carried out. Maybe greater defence integration and that long awaited deal on youth mobility could be on the cards.
When Mr Burnham appointed a new minister for Brexit talks who had been a professional diplomat before entering parliament as an MP, we knew there was a chance for a bolder approach. And that seems to be what we are getting.
What is not clear, though, is how and when we might rejoin. It is obviously not something that will happen immediately, as Mr Falconer was at pains to say.
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