Burnham doubles down on blaming Brexit for UK’s woes at PMQs as he vows to use summit to get closer to Brussels

Andy Burnham today doubled down on his attack on Brexit, saying the 2016 vote had been responsible for a subsequent ‘decade of low growth’ in Britain.

The Labour leader used Prime Minister’s Questions to vow to use an upcoming summit with European Union leaders to continue the work done by Sir Keir Starmer on pushing the UK back into its orbit.

The PM raised eyebrows and provoked some laughter from opposition benches when he singled out UK farming and steel manufacturing as two areas he wanted to talk to the EU about.   

This afternoon he used a PMQs request by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey to have the UK rejoin the single market – which includes freedom of movement – into an attack on Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

‘It is clear the decade of low growth has partly been the result of Brexit and the sooner the party opposite (the Tories) accepts that the more we can start to face up to Britain’s future and where we go from here,’ Mr Burnham told Sir Ed.

‘I do want a closer relationship, I will build on the work of my predecessor… It is imperative that we work hard to get a good deal for British steel, for British farming, as part of that new deal he talks about.’

It came less than 24 hours after he used his first Commons appearance since replacing Sir Keir to blame Brexit and Margaret Thatcher for many of the UK’s woes. 

On Tuesday he said ‘Britain is not where any of us would wish it to be’ as a result of a ‘series of wrong turns’ since the 1980s, including ‘hollowing out councils’, austerity measures and Brexit.

The new PM vowed to use an upcoming summit with European Union leaders to continue the work done by Sir Keir Starmer on pushing the UK back into its orbit.

It comes as Mr Burnham prepares to meet French president Emmanuel Macron in London.

They and their wives will join the King and Queen tonight for a private viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum.

The European Union earlier this year unveiled regulations designed to protect the steel industries in its member states, amid fears global overproduction of the alloy was affecting the bloc’s steel market.

The deal limited tariff-free import volumes to 18.3million tons a year – a 47 per cent reduction compared with 2024 quotas.

The UK Government also lowered the tariff-free quota level for steel importers by 51 per cent compared to current arrangements, and any imports above these levels will face a 50 per cent tariff.

Sir Ed told the Commons: ‘The Prime Minister said yesterday that Brexit ushered in a decade of low growth and stalled regeneration – he is right.

‘Our economy is stuck in this mess thanks to the Conservatives and the leader of Reform (Nigel Farage) and their terrible Brexit deal.

‘Unless we grow the economy, there is no way we can end the cost-of-living crisis or cut the cost of borrowing for the Government.

‘The answer is staring him in the face – join the single market.

‘Get a new deal with Europe and cut costs for families, businesses and government.

‘It’s the bold step our country desperately needs – will the Prime Minister take it?’

Responding, Mr Burnham said: ‘I think he is absolutely right to share the analysis that I laid out yesterday.

‘It’s clear the low growth we’ve had – the decade of low growth – has been partly a result of Brexit.

‘And the sooner the party opposite accepts that, the more we can start to face up to Britain’s future and “where do we go from here?”

‘I do want a closer relationship – I will build on the work of my predecessor.

‘There are issues facing British farming right now and there are issues facing British steel right now.

‘And the Made In Europe agenda could pose significant problems for British Steel.

‘So, as he will know, we are approaching a UK-EU summit in the next couple of months.

‘It is imperative, I believe, that we work hard to get a good deal for British steel, for British farming as part of that new deal that he talks about.’