Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said repairing the economic damage of Brexit should be the main focus for Prime Minister Andy Burnham as he reconsiders Labour’s positions on the European Union.
Haviland welcomed Burnham’s move to reopen the party’s EU red lines, acknowledging that revisiting those stances could create short-term uncertainty. She argued, however, that the current trading relationship with the EU is "bad for business" and requires urgent attention to restore competitiveness and growth.
The BCC, one of Britain’s leading business representative organisations, has repeatedly warned that barriers to trade with the EU have weighed on firms across sectors. Haviland’s comments underline the organisation’s view that clarifying and, if necessary, altering the UK’s approach to the EU is a necessary step to mitigate those harms.
While noting the potential for disruption from renewed political debate, Haviland stressed that addressing the longer-term economic consequences of Brexit should take precedence. Her intervention frames the conversation around concrete business priorities—trade, regulatory alignment and market access—rather than solely partisan calculations.
The prime minister’s decision to reopen the issue is likely to prompt further scrutiny from business groups and industry leaders seeking clarity on the direction of UK-EU relations. Haviland’s remarks signal that at least some of those groups view remediation of Brexit’s economic effects as an urgent policy objective.