Andy Burnham has indicated he would consider contesting the next general election on a platform of rejoining the European Union, attributing the outcome of the 2016 referendum to external actors he said sought to influence public opinion. Those remarks preceded scheduled discussions on Tuesday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Burnham identified restoring a stalled reset agreement as his foremost near-term objective, with the EU's trade protection measures cited as the reason for the delay. When asked whether a pledge to seek EU membership would feature in Labour's next manifesto, he left the matter open, describing it as a question for a future date.

He claimed the result of the 2016 referendum had been shaped by external actors seeking to influence public opinion. Burnham has positioned himself as a vocal opponent of Brexit and has stated his desire to see the United Kingdom return to the EU during his lifetime.

He is anticipated to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, where he will argue that the decision to leave the EU has contributed to a prolonged period of economic and political stagnation. Burnham has committed to upholding Labour's Brexit positions, which include remaining outside the single market and not restoring free movement of people.

A number of Labour MPs have called on him to contest the forthcoming election on a platform of rejoining. When questioned on the matter, Burnham told journalists accompanying him to New York that attention is currently directed toward a UK-EU summit anticipated to take place before the end of the year.

He outlined restoring ties as his foremost aim, noting that relations had deteriorated earlier in the decade before being repaired. He said the priority is advancing to a higher level of tangible agreement to strengthen the economy, with those matters forming the core of the summit alongside EU proposals on youth mobility. When questioned about the prospect of rejoining, he indicated that remaining matters would be addressed at a later point.

Burnham dismissed the prospect of associate membership for the UK, noting that the EU had indicated no such arrangement was on offer. He said that reflecting on the past ten years, periods of instability tend to arise when external parties attempt to interfere with and distort information, as well as influence the democratic process in Britain. He said the organisation would need to adopt a more assertive and clear-sighted approach to addressing those pressures over the coming decade.

Burnham said greater transparency is needed about how external actors may attempt to shape public attitudes and perceptions for their own purposes rather than those of the people concerned.

Prior to Tuesday's discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Burnham outlined his immediate aim of reviving a proposed diplomatic reset that had lost momentum amid disagreements over EU trade policy. The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with von der Leyen on Tuesday for discussions on the EU's Made in Europe programme, which has drawn considerable debate.

The EU has introduced trade measures aimed at shielding European companies from lower-priced goods imported from China. Government ministers have expressed concern that sectors of British industry, among them state-owned British Steel, may face collateral consequences.

Burnham has sought an exemption from the scheme ahead of a UK-EU summit scheduled for this autumn. He claimed to have the backing of fellow EU leaders, though the bloc had yet to alter its position. He said Europe's dispute was not directed at the UK, and that both regions faced the same consequences as other nations, with particular concern for the impact on the steel sector across the continent and in Britain.

He further argued that the UK should not be viewed as an adversary or obstacle within Europe, and that the Made in Europe scheme addresses an entirely separate issue. The position he put forward centred on pursuing a collaborative framework with trusted partners, minimising unintended consequences and avoiding the creation of new tensions where none previously existed.

Burnham told reporters that the bilateral relationship between the two nations remained on solid ground ahead of scheduled discussions with Trump. He also disclosed that Royal Air Force aircraft are to be deployed in protection of Saudi Arabia's petroleum facilities against aerial missile threats.