Labour has been accused of "clutching at straws" over its plans for closer ties with the EU under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The criticism follows remarks by Hamish Falconer, the minister in charge of the Brexit reset, who said Britain would look at the "art of the possible" within Labour's manifesto red lines.
Minister's comments on EU relations
Mr Falconer told The Guardian: "We're committed to our manifesto red lines, but all of my experiences as a negotiator and the art of the possible is in part shaped by the nature of the relationship between two people negotiating."
He added: "I used to be a negotiator with the Taliban. With the EU, this is a negotiation with our friends, with whom we share our values and with whom we feel solidarity."
Mr Falconer also expressed interest in deepening cooperation on services, noting: "There's also a whole range of areas in relation to services where I'd really like it to be progressed. Services is obviously an area where the EU itself is less closely integrated and there's a lot of discussion within the EU about where to take the productivity challenge for them – that's a challenge we can recognise here in the UK as well. So, particularly on services, I'm really interested in where we can go further."
Tory criticism
However, Tory frontbencher Alex Burghart accused Labour of being "clutching at straws" and "remains fixated on the past". He said: "To fix the economy they need to open up the North Sea, cut public spending, cut taxes and regulation, get the national debt down and build the conditions for growth. None of this needs a deal with the EU which itself has low growth."
He added: "Burnham and his team are going to give us a bad deal which hands control of our regulations to Brussels and doesn't fix the problems at home. While Labour remains fixated on the past, only the Conservatives, under new leadership, are focused on delivering a serious plan for Britain's future."
PM's stance
The Prime Minister insisted he would not look to rejoin the EU when he was standing in the Makerfield by-election, after previously admitting he would like to see the UK back in the bloc in his lifetime.
