Brexit can be reversed “shortly”, announces the former chief negotiator of the European Union / PHOTO: Lucas Davies, Unsplash.com
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation as leader of the Labor Party, ending a tenure marked by internal tensions, economic pressures and a dramatic drop in his party’s popularity. In his place will come, most likely, Andy Burnham, the mayor of the metropolis of Manchester until recently, who will have to make an important choice regarding relations with the European Union, according to an analysis carried out for Newspapers.com by Ciprian Vîrlan, Antena 3-CNN correspondent in Great Britain.
A poll conducted by Ipsos exclusively for Bloomberg News shows that 58% of voters who would participate in a possible referendum would favor the return of the United Kingdom to the European Union, and almost half of them, more precisely 49%, agree that a new referendum should be held after the next general election.
In this context, Michel Barnier, the former chief negotiator of the European Union for Brexsaid the UK could return to the Union “within a relatively short period of time” given that much of the regulation is still aligned between Brussels and London.
He added that the country could also join a new European security and defense council, a project he is promoting to allow for more formal cooperation with non-EU European states such as the United Kingdom and Norway. Although Barnier declined to give an exact timetable for a possible readmission process, he stressed that it could be short, but specified that “the British government’s political decision to resume the accession path could take much longer than the technical process itself.”
As the next Prime Minister, Andy Burnham will inherit a promising reset in relations between Britain and the European Union. Burnham is known to be pro-European and has a long history of being a staunch supporter of the European cause.
The journalist Ciprian Vîrlan pointed out the fact that the new prime minister will be faced with a dilemma that will mark his mandate.
“If Andy Burnham becomes prime minister, he will have to set out his vision: if he continues Starmer’s foreign policy, including support for Ukraine and relationship with United Statesor if it will adopt a new direction, perhaps even holding a referendum to return to the European Union, given that part of the population seems to want this. It is also essential that the new leader provides security guarantees for all immigrants and restores social order,” explained the journalist.
Starmer tried to get closer and closer to France and Germany
Externally, Starmer tried to strengthen relations with Germany and France, explains journalist Ciprian Vîrlan.
“So far, Starmer has aimed to strengthen relations with Germany and France, and the recent presence of Macron and Merz in London underlined this pro-European orientation,” he explained.
On the other hand, Andy Burnham does not know whether or not he will continue the political line imposed by Starmer, externally.
“The clear political directions are not yet known about Andy Burnham, and the way he would govern remains a mystery, especially in a context where Great Britain is still feeling the aftereffects of 14 years of conservative government,” explained Vîrlan.
Political instability was chronicled over time in London
Journalist Ciprian Vîrlan highlighted the problems of governmental instability in Great Britain.
“The political situation here is extremely fragile and the future of government remains uncertain, especially as the country prepares to welcome its seventh prime minister in the ten years since the Brexit referendum.
These frequent changes and political shocks once again call into question the stability of the institutions and the trust of the citizens in the political class in London, both in the relationship with the European Union and internally”, explained Vîrlan.
The journalist also revealed Starmer’s strategy of late, who accepted his rival Andy Burnham to run for a seat in Parliament, taking the risk, but motivated this decision by the desire to prevent the Reform party, led by Nigel Farage, from winning another term in Westminster. “Thus, Starmer preferred to prevent a victory of the extremists, even if it weakened his own position within the party,” Vîrlan added.
“Starmer tried to be more popular with Europeans than his own citizens”
Starmer has been affected by the scandal surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, in the context of his links with Jeffrey Epstein, aspects of which the Labor leader has yet to offer credible explanations.
“This subject is a sensitive one for the British, because it also involves the royal family, and the lack of transparency has affected trust in political leaders,” emphasized journalist Ciprian Vîrlan.
Domestically, strikes by doctors in the public health system have blocked hospitals and led to delays in patient care, and the prime minister’s declaration that there is no funding for pay rises has angered unionists.
“It seems that the prime minister tried to be more popular among Europeans than among his own citizens, considering that a pro-European approach will bring prosperity, but the British economy is still under pressure from the consequences of Brexit,” concluded Vîrlan.
