Britain would lose Margaret Thatcher’s EU rebate and pay at least £5 billion a year more than before Brexit if Labour drags the country back into Brussels, according to the UK’s last European commissioner. The Burnham premium would cost billions…
Sir Julian King warns today that Brussels would not tolerate any “special deal” on re-entry. Which is obvious to everyone on planet Earth other than the people fighting for the keys to Number 10…
He tells the Telegraph:
“The door’s open, but we shouldn’t expect any special deal. That doesn’t mean, in practice, adopting the euro, but it would mean renewed free movement across Europe and a significant budget contribution. Those advocating [rejoining] need to build sustainable public support for what EU membership really involves.”
What it really involves is the return of free movement, a “significant budget contribution” (which is code for ‘multiple billions’), surrendering our waters, and entering a torturous 10-year application process in which Prime Minister Burnham / Streeting / Miliband would have to go cap in hand to Brussels begging for mercy. Vote Leave chief Lord Elliott estimated last month that the full annual membership bill would hit £22 billion, which is three times the current prisons budget. That is a conservative estimate…
Backtrack Burnham has a record. Guido kept the receipts…
More to follow…
He’s really digging in, at least publicly. For now…
“I do want to fight the next election. Obviously, I recognise that after the local election results, the elections in Wales and Scotland as well, that the first task is obviously turning things around and making sure that my focus is in the right place…
The last 10 days, there’s been a lot of activity which hasn’t been as focused in my view as it should have been, and I remind myself every day that I was elected to office to serve the people, to serve the country, that’s what I believe in, and that’s what I’ll be getting on with.”
Asked if he would set a timeline for his departure: “No, I’m not going to do that.” See how long that lasts…
Compare and contrast. From Labour Conference in September 2025 to today…
His second U-turn in three days. At least there will be some continuity between his premiership and Starmer’s…
On the left is from three days ago. On the right is from this morning. A huge reverse ferret this early in the campaign – the change candidate…
David Lammy on Sky News, insisting Starmer has no plans to leave Number 10:
“Let me be really clear. Keir Starmer remains the most resilient person I know in my life. I spoke to him twice yesterday, he has a strength of character, a fighting experience. There will no timetables. What there is, is getting on with the business of government. Really crystal clear about that. At the moment, there is no contest. What there is, is his determination to deliver for the British people. Accelerate the pace over the coming months… there will be no timetable for departure, no.”
Not that it matters. Burnham and Streeting are already acting like he’s been handed his P45...
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”