Former chancellor Rachel Reeves has backed the Prime Minister’s stance on potentially deepening ties with the EU, saying Brexit had made the UK “poorer, weaker and less secure”.
Writing in The Sunday Times, the Labour former Cabinet minister said she welcomes “Andy Burnham’s leadership” after remarks made by the Prime Minister in recent days fuelled questions about the prospect of Britain returning to the bloc or adopting its freedom of movement rules.
Mr Burnham wants to lock in deals on food and drink, emissions trading and a youth mobility scheme at a summit with the bloc next month, but told ministers that the period beyond that would be to “explore options” for the long-term relationship.
Ms Reeves, who was sacked as chancellor by Andy Burnham when he took office, said: “I am proud of the progress we have already made in strengthening our relationship with the European Union.
“Brexit has made us poorer, weaker and less secure.
“There is a debate to be had about our future relationship with Europe, and I welcome Andy Burnham’s leadership in facing up to this. No one in the Treasury ever doubted where my instincts were.”
Although Ms Reeves said she believed “Britain’s future lies in the European Union”, she stressed it was “incumbent on supporters of our re-entry to make the argument, demonstrate tangible benefits and to get the next steps right”.
Any options on Britain’s future relationship with Brussels will eventually be put to the public, but the Prime Minister earlier this week warned individual ministers it would not be appropriate “to advocate for specific options or opine on the likely outcome of the process”.
In a letter to his Cabinet, Mr Burnham said any “fundamental change” to post-Brexit arrangements would be “for the public to decide” and left to the next parliament.
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