Monday, 17 August 2026Europe · Analysis
Independent · Brussels & Berlin
Person
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Hamish Falconer, appointed last month as the prime minister's chief EU negotiator, says Britain wants a more ambitious partnership but rules out single market or customs union membership.
The Labour leader steps down less than two years after a 411-seat landslide, undone by a flawed ambassadorial appointment, policy reversals and a May local election drubbing that brought Andy Burnham to the brink of Number 10.
The prime minister promises a new direction at July's summit, but local election losses reveal a party split between pro-EU graduates and Brexit-backing working-class voters.
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