Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has stated that he believes Prime Minister Andy Burnham is genuinely committed to eventually taking the United Kingdom back into the European Union. In a statement to MPs, Burnham had previously been evasive when asked if his planned renegotiation of Britain's relationship with the bloc would result in a future Labour-led government rejoining, telling one Conservative questioner that they were getting ahead of themselves.
However, Kinnock offered a much more definitive view during an interview with the Italian newspaper la Repubblica. Kinnock, who is one of three political mentors named by Burnham and a former vice president of the European Commission, said it was obvious that Burnham's ultimate objective is to rejoin the EU and that his commitment to the idea is entirely authentic.
Addressing why Burnham played down his pro-European views during the Makerfield byelection campaign, Kinnock claimed the approach was simply a matter of strategic timing. He stated that the byelection was focused entirely on winning the seat to enable Burnham to become party leader, rather than debating Europe, and insisted that Burnham's long-term direction has not changed.
During the interview, Kinnock also discussed Burnham's political philosophy, rejecting traditional left-right labels to describe his approach as pragmatic and based on common sense. Pointing to comparisons with Winston Churchill's governance in the 1950s, Kinnock described them both as socialists driven by the practical utility and usefulness of their policy ideas.