Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has issued a furious warning to Labour after Andy Burnham signalled that Britain could rejoin the European Union.
The Prime Minister has not ruled out a second referendum on membership of the bloc being on Labour's next general election manifesto. He told MPs yesterday: "If we are serious about promoting growth, controlling immigration, upholding our values and security, it is a conversation we must have."
Burnham's call for dialogue
Mr Burnham added: "Sticking with the status quo is not good enough for Britain. Worse, it would be a major dereliction of duty to turn away. We need to take a calm, clear-eyed, rational look at the world as it is today to consider what is best for our country. Our immediate priority is securing a successful outcome at the summit, and I believe we should then set up a serious dialogue about the different options for our relationship in the long term.
"At every stage, the British public will be the boss, and I am clear that public opinion currently supports a pragmatic approach like the one I am suggesting."
Mr Burnham said the upcoming talks present "an opportunity to make progress on two crucial issues: boosting UK growth and controlling illegal immigration". He said he planned to raise concerns about Made in Europe — which will block British-made components being used in EU supply chains — but added that "there is an opportunity to make progress in all of these areas".
Economic impact and Tice's warning
"Together, these deals will add the equivalent of over £10billion per year to the UK economy by 2040, with the potential to add significantly more," Mr Burnham said.
A No. 10 source told PA: "Andy understands why some politicians don’t want to face up to the reality that Brexit has not delivered what they once promised. But it is time for a different conversation about what our long-term relationship should be. Sticking with the status quo and not working relentlessly to secure a good deal that boosts growth would be a major dereliction of duty."
Richard Tice took to Facebook to issue a warning to Labour. He posted: "If Labour think they can rejoin the EU without a referendum, they have no idea what they are unleashing. No idea at all."
Russian interference claims
The Prime Minister has suggested that Russia tried to influence the 2016 Brexit vote. He denied he had sought to question the legitimacy of the referendum after telling The Rest Is Politics that upon entering Number 10 he was told it was "clear" that Moscow was behind state-sponsored interference. "It is a matter of record that Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 general election and we think it is inconceivable that this was the first time," he told MPs.
