Andy Burnham says he will not try to undo Brexit
Mr Burnham said Brexit has been "damaging" - adding "the last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments."
Andy Burnham has said he will not try to return the UK to the EU as he warned against re-running tired arguments about Brexit.
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The Greater Manchester mayor hopes to be Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election, which could provide him with a route back to Parliament to challenge for the party leadership and potentially the keys to No 10.
During a speech at a summit in Leeds today, he said that he was not interested in Britain being in a “permanent rut” and “constantly arguing.”
He promised a “new path which brings the country back together”, adding: “I know what my party has offered in the past has simply not been good enough.”
Mr Burnham said he was “not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU”, and warned against re-running the arguments of the Brexit years.
He said it was more important to “focus on what we’ve got in common” ahead of the by-election battle in the Leave-voting Makerfield seat.
He said there was a “bloated national state” and a “malnourished local one” as he argued for further devolution.
Mr Burnham said: “My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments.”
Mr Burnham said he wanted to “transfer power and resources back to local areas” if he is “returned to Parliament”.
His comments come after Wes Streeting said that the UK should rejoin the EU.
Days ago, the former health secretary said that the UK must “one day” return to full membership.
Mr Streeting said in his opening pitch to be PM that Britain must rejoin the European Union.
He said that Labour risks becoming the “handmaidens of Nigel Farage and the breakup of the United Kingdom” and that the government had been too “timid” – and urged his party to admit Brexit was a “catastrophic” mistake, to confront racism “not explain it” and to fight tech giants.
Mr Burnham said last autumn that he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime. However, he said on Monday: “I am not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU. “I respect the decision that was made at the referendum and it’s going to undermine everything I’ve said about strengthening democracy if we don’t respect that vote.”