Andy Burnham and his chancellor John Healey appear to be at odds – once again – over the direction of Britain’s relationship with the EU, reports BritPanorama.
The prime minister has been championing much closer ties with the bloc, saying earlier this week Britain’s departure from the European Union had “weakened our economy” and impacted high levels of immigration.
He has also asserted that it is “possible” Labour’s next election manifesto could include an in-out referendum on rejoining the EU and admitted he wants to see Britain rejoin the European Union in his lifetime.
However, the chancellor did not share the same view when asked if he thinks the country would rejoin the bloc in his lifetime. “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that,” said Mr Healey, who is 10 years older than the prime minister. “My job is to try and make the most of Britain’s position now,” he told Channel 4 News.
He added, “And that’s why both Andy Burnham and I are already, at the moment, looking to get the best possible deal when we have the European summit on the 20th of November.”
The prime minister is set to meet EU chiefs for a key summit in Brussels next month, where he seeks to secure agreements on food and drink, emissions trading, and a youth mobility scheme allowing young people to live, study, and work in the bloc with fewer restrictions.
While Burnham has indicated willingness to go “all the way” in rejoining the bloc, he insists that the British public will “be the boss” of the nation’s future, arguing that leaving the EU has adversely affected Britain’s economic growth.
In contrast, the chancellor denied earlier this week that Britain’s growth would have been stronger had the UK remained in the EU or single market, stating, “We had a referendum. We’re out of the European Union.”
Asked whether growth would be stronger if Britain was in the EU or single market, Mr Healey told LBC, “Well, I don’t actually accept that. I mean, it’s certain Brexit has hit our level of growth.”
He continued, “It’s certainly hit our level of trade. But we had a referendum. We’re out of the European Union. The challenge for me now is how do we make the best of an economy which this year has proved remarkably resilient.”
Pressed on the potential economic boost from EU single market access, he stated, “Well, that’s part of a bigger conversation that the prime minister wants the country to have because he recognises – and many others do – that our Brexit deal was not a good one.”
Continuing, he remarked, “It’s not been good for Britain over the last decade. But my job now is to reinforce that resilience in the British economy.”
During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Burnham denied that his position had shifted since he promised not to “re-run” old Brexit arguments while fighting the by-election that brought him to No 10 in the Leave-voting seat of Makerfield earlier this year.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Burnham, questioning why he had reopened the debate on the UK-EU relationship in the days leading up to the Budget and accusing him of failing to “respect” the result of the 2016 referendum.
