European Movement UK has today set out five asks for Andy Burnham as he takes office, calling on the new Prime Minister to seize the moment and build a bold, forward-looking agenda that leads the UK towards a new European future.

The Five Asks are:

• Drop the red lines on Europe
• By the end of 2026, publish a strategy for cementing the UK's place in Europe
• Make the UK Europe's closest security partner
• Launch a national conversation on the UK's European future
• Put a route to EU membership in Labour's next manifesto

Drop the red lines on Europe

European Movement UK says the Government's self-imposed red lines have become barriers to the UK's prosperity and security. While the relationship with Europe has stabilised and improved, the group argues the red lines no longer make sense in today's world. To deliver the economic growth the Government has promised, and to give businesses confidence, it is calling on the new Government to remove the arbitrary and self-imposed restrictions on the UK joining the European single market and customs union.

Put a route to EU membership in Labour's next manifesto

The campaign wants the Government to stop tinkering around the edges of the relationship with Europe and to commit that the next Labour Party manifesto will include a clear pathway for closer European integration, including the option of opening accession negotiations for the UK as a member state. European Movement UK says this is about recognising that the UK's long-term future will always belong in Europe, and giving the public an honest, democratic choice.

Cement the UK's place in Europe by the end of 2026

The group is calling for a comprehensive, integrated strategy for rebuilding the UK's place in Europe by the end of 2026. It notes that the UK is back in Erasmus+ and that progress on an SPS agreement is being made. It says the UK and EU should now finalise the Youth Mobility Scheme, agree mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and negotiate a solution to the obstacles facing cultural and creative professionals. For shared prosperity and security, European Movement UK also wants deeper defence and security integration, linked Emissions Trading Systems, cooperation on energy procurement and price controls, and ultimately a roadmap towards the UK's single market participation.

Make the UK Europe's closest security partner

European Movement UK says this must not wait. It is calling on the Government to deepen defence cooperation, participate fully in European defence programmes such as SAFE, align foreign policy where appropriate, and make the UK central to Europe's shared security architecture.

Launch a national conversation on the UK's European future

The campaign argues that every problem the country faces has been made worse by its untimely exit from the EU, and that the UK must be clear about the root causes of its problems and address them head-on. It wants an open national conversation on questions such as freedom of movement, economic alignment with European neighbours, defence cooperation, and joint efforts to tackle climate change. Europe, the group says, is integral to who we are and what we want to be as a country.