Burnham says Russian meddling in Europe shows need for closer U.K.-EU ties as he seeks a Brexit reset

According to the AP, Burnham said Moscow's "campaign of hybrid attacks" and efforts by Russia to destabilize democracies and interfere in votes, including Britain's 2016 EU membership referendum[2], show why the U.K. The AP reports that he told lawmakers in the House of Commons that it would be "a dereliction of duty" not to seek stronger ties[2] with the bloc.The AP reports that on a podcast, Burnham said when he became prime minister in July he asked his advisers whether Russia had interfered with the 2016 referendum, and was told the answer was yes.[2] According to the AP, the government later clarified that Moscow's attempts to interfere were unsuccessful.[2] The AP reports that Burnham's spokesman, Tom Wells, said the government considers the result of the 2016 referendum to be legitimate.[2]The AP reports that when Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pressed him for evidence, Burnham said "it is inconceivable that this was the first time."[2]According to the AP, the U.K. and the EU announced Monday that they will hold a summit in Brussels on Nov. 20[2]. The AP reports that Burnham said talks will cover a trade deal for food and drink, agreements on energy and emissions trading[2], as well as youth and immigration cooperation.The AP notes that Burnham remains bound by the pledge of his Labour predecessor, Keir Starmer, not to rejoin the bloc's frictionless single market or its customs union.[2]