Chris Ward calls for Labour to drop Brexit red lines ahead of next election

Chris Ward, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, has urged Andy Burnham to abandon the party's Brexit red lines at the next general election. Ward served as Keir Starmer's chief adviser during the shadow cabinet period and co-wrote the commitments for the 2024 manifesto. He stated that the specific rules barring reintegration have outlived their usefulness and should no longer dictate the party's strategy.

The red lines currently prevent the UK from rejoining the European Union, the single market, or the customs union, and they also block the restoration of freedom of movement. Ward described these restrictions as a tool designed to narrow the target of Brexit for Labour. He argued that while the strategy was correct at the time, it no longer reflects the reality of 2026. He called for the commitments to receive a dignified retirement.

Ward cited a shift in global power as the primary reason for the change. He wrote that the United Kingdom could no longer rely on the United States for security. This geopolitical shift, he said, requires a full appraisal of Britain's diplomatic relationships. He noted that Starmer had to scramble alliances twice in recent years, regarding Ukraine and the Strait of Hormuz, because of this changing dynamic.

He warned that keeping Britain's security dependent on US election outcomes would be brave in the extreme. Ward suggested that relying on Washington as it was in 1945 or 2016 is a false hope. He stated that the new security and cyber threats facing Europe and the UK demand a reassessment of the depth of the relationship. He argued that the old economic arguments for rejoining are insufficient to explain the current need for change.

This call for a reset follows similar comments from former chancellor Rachel Reeves, who said it was right for Burnham to consider rejoining. Ward positioned this push for a closer European relationship as a defining political moment of the autumn. He suggested that a new framework could protect the UK from global threats that traditional alliances no longer address effectively.

Ward defended the original strategy that brought Labour to power. He said the red lines were designed to close down the debate and narrow the target that Brexit had become for the party. He believes the reset deal expected to pass at the next UK-EU summit will show benefits can be delivered within those limits. These benefits include cheaper prices for businesses, a youth mobility scheme, and the return of Erasmus+.

Despite these gains, Ward said the red lines will have served their purpose by the next election. He proposed a public debate on whether the UK should formally rejoin or seek associate membership similar to Canada's model. He stated that the prime minister must explain why now is the right time to reopen the Brexit debate and how it serves the national interest. He warned that a re-run of the 2016 arguments would not achieve this.

Burnham is scheduled to attend the European Political Community summit in Dublin on Thursday. He is expected to meet many European leaders for the first time and use the gathering to finalize the reset deal. He will hold side talks to outline his ambitions for further integration, including a potentially permanent relationship with the bloc.

The UK is set to sign new agreements on agriculture, food, emissions trading, and youth mobility at a Brexit reset meeting in Brussels on 20 November. Starmer is expected to give a speech after the summit outlining options for the future relationship. Burnham has previously indicated that rejoining the single market could be a manifesto option, while full EU rejoining would require a referendum.