THE “changing nature” of UK-EU relations will not deter Jersey from ensuring that its interests are “protected and promoted”, the government has said, after the UK Prime Minister opened the door to reversing the 2020 Brexit agreement.
In a series of interviews following the Labour Party annual conference in September, Andy Burnham said he would look at the option of Britain going “all the way” and rejoining the EU.
He told Radio 4’s Today programme: “We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay.
“We could look at what George Osborne has said about a customs union, we could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about the single market or we could go all the way.”
Mr Burnham’s recent comments reflect a dramatic shift in tone from his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, who explicitly ruled out returning to the EU during the 2024 election campaign.
The EU referendum vote in 2016, which saw the UK voting to leave the EU by 52% to 48%, triggered the UK’s withdrawal from the political and economic union in January 2020.
Jersey residents were not legally entitled to vote in the referendum under the European Union Referendum Act 2015, with the legislation restricting eligible voters to the UK and Gibraltar only.
Accordingly, only Jersey residents who had lived in the UK within 15 years of the referendum were allowed to register to vote.
In April this year, Jersey’s government backed closer UK alignment with European standards as part of the UK government’s post-Brexit “reset” of relations with the EU.
Jersey ministers described a proposed Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement between the UK and EU as offering an “opportunity to ease the flow of Jersey’s fisheries and agricultural exports to France and the rest of Europe”.
Responding to Mr Burnham’s recent comments, an External Relations Department spokesperson said that it would “continue to engage” with the relevant parties to ensure that Jersey’s interests are kept in mind.
They said: “Jersey has maintained close political, economic and cultural links with Europe and we will continue to adapt to the changing nature of the UK-EU relationship and ensure that the Island’s interests are protected and promoted.”
The statement concluded: “The UK continues to be responsible for Jersey’s defence and foreign policy. We have contributed to the UK-EU reset, and we will continue to ensure that our interests are taken into consideration.”
