Great Britain: “People can safely forget about this” – Burnham rejects new elections despite the EU course

London. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is not seeking support from a new election for his course of rapprochement with the European Union. “There is no election coming up in the foreseeable future,” the Labor politician told ITV on Monday, rejecting speculation. “People can safely forget about it.”

He wanted to concentrate on governing, he said when asked whether voters would have the opportunity to support his vision for closer relations with the EU. Britain is just beginning to “regain its momentum, its confidence, its direction”. Improving relations with Europe is part of the effort to give the country this direction.

Burnham also reiterated the importance of NATO for Great Britain. Finance Minister John Healey will “set out the path to fulfilling our NATO commitments” in his first draft budget on Wednesday. This includes the goal of increasing spending on nuclear defense to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035. In a “challenging world,” national security is a priority.

Britain currently spends around 2.6 percent of its GDP on defense and had announced it would reach the three percent target in the next parliamentary term. An election is due by mid-2029 at the latest. Last year, NATO members agreed to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on core defense by 2035 and another 1.5 percent on broader defense and security measures.

Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer at the head of the Labor party and government in the summer, is seeking a comprehensive reset in relations with the EU. He wants to meet with top EU representatives on November 20th. The Prime Minister is not ruling out a return to freedom of movement for workers - a key controversial issue in the Brexit referendum in 2016. The country needs to have an "honest discussion" about it, he told the Sunday Times.

The influx of employees from the EU before Brexit presented the country with challenges. However, it was a form of migration in which people came and later returned to their homeland.

Burnham had suggested in the newspaper interview that although a new referendum would be necessary for full EU accession, it would not be necessary for a return to the European internal market or the customs union. The opposition Conservatives sharply criticize Burnham's course.

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt warned it would be a mistake to revisit the fundamental debates of the referendum. A relaxation of immigration rules would be a serious blow to efforts to get people off welfare into work.