Andy Burnham has rejected Lord David Cameron’s criticism of his plans to re-negotiate Britain’s deal with the EU after the former prime minister said that the UK’s economic problems over the last 10 years are not because of Brexit.
The prime minister is due to meet EU leaders in Brussels next week and sign agreements that he says could raise GDP by 0.4 per cent – including on food and farming, emissions trading and a youth mobility scheme.
It comes as he seeks to “explore options” for a different long-term relationship with the bloc, after arguing Brexit had caused “more harm than good” to Britain.
In an intervention this week, Lord Cameron, who resigned from Downing Street in the wake of the UK vote to leave the EU, said in an interview that starting a conversation about rejoining the bloc would be “very long and painful”, and that the UK’s economic problems over the last 10 years are not because of Brexit.
But Mr Burnham rejected this on Thursday, telling reporters: “I think he is wrong to say that the low growth that we’ve had over the last decade is, quote, ‘nothing to do with Brexit.’
“I would say the evidence says otherwise, and indeed the Treasury analysis says otherwise, which is if we are able to come to a good working arrangement on emissions trading, on agri-food, on other things as well, that we can add growth to the British economy. So I think he is wrong to say that.
“It feels like his intervention is more about unity in the Conservative Party than it is about fighting for the British, the British interests.
“So just to finish, though, no one’s talking about rejoin. This is a deal that is about the next seven days.”
Instead, he said he believes a “win-win” deal could be done with the EU that could be “more like the Brexit that people thought they were voting for in 2016”.
The prime minister also said his move to reopen the debate on the UK’s future relationship with the bloc has helped negotiations for a series of deals ahead of next week’s summit.
Speaking at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Ireland, Mr Burnham said: “The requests are coming from the European side. We are putting our requests on the table too.
“I believe there is a good deal to be done that could be a win-win for Britain and Europe.
“I think it actually could be more like the Brexit that people thought they were voting for in 2016.
“I don’t think people thought they were going to get a Brexit as hard as the one that finally came through at the end of 2019.
“It was much harder than Theresa May’s deal when she was trying to come up with an arrangement.
“So let’s see where we get to in the next in the next seven days. But I think in the end, what we get could be good for Britain, but also closer to what people voted for at the referendum.”
