Nigel Farage has accused Prime Minister Andy Burnham of “selling out” the British public over his plans for closer ties with the European Union, as the Government prepares for a crunch summit with Brussels next week.
Mr Burnham, who is poised to sign major new concessions with EU leaders, was criticised after attending the European Political Community meeting in Dublin on Thursday, where he held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
Farage's warning
Mr Farage said: “It’s now clear that Andy Burnham is determined to sell out the British people and our national interest in favour of the European Union.”
He told the Express: “He wants to open the borders to 500 million people in the EU and pay over 40 billion a year just for the privilege of rejoining.
“It’s time Brussels Burnham put the interests of the British people first but if the Prime Minister wants this fight all over again - I say bring it on.”
Concessions and concerns
Concerns are growing that the Labour leader will make deep concessions to secure better trade terms at the EU-UK summit next Friday, potentially including contributions to Brussels coffers, a youth “free movement” scheme and adopting the bloc's rules.
Member states are also preparing to push for cut-price tuition fees. The Prime Minister has also triggered a wider push for rejoining the EU entirely after the next general election, a move that has proved toxic within the Cabinet.
Many see this as a betrayal of the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum.
Political reactions
Former Prime Minister David Cameron said it would be bad for the UK to go back into the bloc, urging the current PM to stop blaming Brexit for the UK's economic woes. He told Bloomberg: “If you look at the economic problems we have today, I don't really think they've got anything to do with Brexit at all”.
Senior Tory MP Dame Priti Patel also warned: “Andy Burnham’s obsession with the EU risks dragging Britain backwards, damaging our economy and leaving hardworking British taxpayers footing the bill.
“The British people voted to leave the EU. That democratic decision must be respected, not endlessly undermined by the liberal left establishment who refuse to accept it.
“Instead of reopening old Brexit arguments, Burnham should be focused on the real challenges facing our country: driving economic growth, cutting taxes, reducing regulation and backing British businesses.
“We need a government focused on Britain's future, not one obsessed with returning to its past.”
Government split and new report
Mr Burnham has said he will use next week’s summit to “set up a serious dialogue” about the UK's longer-term ties with the EU, claiming that “sticking with the status quo is not good enough for Britain”. The former Manchester Mayor, who has previously expressed a wish to see the UK rejoin the EU in his lifetime, has said he will soon set out “different options” for voters.
His reopening of the Brexit debate has created a major divide within the Labour party, with his senior team split on the matter. A government source said: “This has made some people quite uncomfortable in government. Some believe it will be regarded as some kind of surrender that won’t go down well in their ‘Red Wall’ constituencies. Others, though, are completely up for the fight.”
A new report warns that closer alignment with areas of EU law will lead to a red tape nightmare that could push up consumer prices, business costs and household budgets. The House of Lords European Affairs Committee said dynamic alignment arrangements will make for a fundamental change in the UK-EU relationship that will increase the demands on Parliament.
Lord Stirrup, Chair of the European Affairs Committee, said: "This may sound like a technical issue, but the rules in question can affect everyday matters, from food standards and consumer prices to business costs and household budgets.”
At the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Mr Burnham announced that the UK is sanctioning all 10 of Russia’s major oil producers. He said Britain has slapped a package of new sanctions on Moscow, including on shadow fleet vessels illicitly transporting Russian oil, Russian oil company Slavneft, and Rosneft’s flagship Arctic oil and gas project LLC Vostok Oil. He also ramped up pressure on Vladimir Putin to take peace talks seriously.
