To re-industrialise Britain, Burnham must look to the EU

“Burnham’s ambitious domestic agenda should be backed by an ambitious push for membership of the EU.” - Oliver Nicholls

Andy Burnham has come to power with an ambition to re-industrialise Britain through a series of domestic initiatives - shifting power away from London, using government contracts to drive local economies and putting technical and academic education on an equal footing. Each is designed to secure growth in every postcode, the undercurrent of his domestic political agenda.

This local-first approach was to be expected, true to his record as Manchester mayor. In contrast, Burnham has said comparatively little so far about his international priorities. Appointing the highly-experienced Ed Miliband suggests he might be happy delegating most of his international diplomacy. Could this be a strategic move designed as a deliberate break from his predecessor, whose frequent overseas travel led critics to dub him ‘Never here Keir’?

Nevertheless, no re-industrialisation plan works without a plan to export, especially to our largest market and the world’s biggest trading bloc. These go hand in hand, and at some point, Burnham will have to make - and explain - some choices about our relationship with the EU.