Burnham lays into Brexit as he promises to set out options on long-term EU relationship by the end of the year
Andy Burnham has pledged to look at the UK's relationship with the EU, as the PM insisted he would set out possible "options" later this year.
Listen to this article
Speaking on the subject of Brexit during his conference speech, Mr Burnham said leaving the EU “hasn’t given us control”.
The Prime Minister detailed how Britain had “lost some of the control we had over our economy, as a decade of low growth has put us in a weaker position”.
“Brexit has done more harm than good,” he continued.
Labour was elected on a manifesto which promised no return to the EU’s single market, the customs union or freedom of movement.
Read more: Andy Burnham is the bravest politician in Britain for ending the triple lock, writes James Hanson
However, Mr Burnham has repeatedly indicated he wanted to explore much closer ties with Brussels, including measures to tackle immigration.
It comes after Defence Secretary Wes Streeting pledged to forge closer ties with the bloc in the run-up to the Makerfield by-election.
It was a move seen by many as an attempt to force Burnham into a conversation surrounding a return to the EU, in a constituency that largely voted in favour of Brexit.
Ahead of talks, expected later this year with EU chiefs, the Prime Minister promised to set out different options for the relationship with the bloc.
“I will see if we can find consensus around one which will give us clarity about our position and the future of the continent that we live in”.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy hinted to LBC's Andrew Marr that Burnham could reopen negotiations with Brussels when asked if the party would go into the next election promising to rejoin the EU.
"Brexit hasn't worked," she told Andrew. "We don't have more control over our lives, over immigration, over the economy than we had a decade ago."
She continued that the issue had been allowed to become "very polarised, very angry, and very toxic" but suggested "most people would agree" with reducing barriers to travel and making it easier for businesses to trade.
"(Burnham) is not being prescriptive about the answers, but we do need to settle the question of where we lie in relation to our closest neighbours and allies," she said.
Asked if it was the moment to reopen the argument - in light of a recent poll revealing 99% of British constituencies would vote to rejoin the EU if a poll were held today - she said: "Obviously there are trade-offs, because trying to re-enter the European Union would mean us having to reopen negotiations.
"There would be terms on which the European Union would want us to re-enter that we might not believe were in Britain's interests.
"So I think we need to be clear-eyed about this decision and this conversation. But I do think we ought to be able to have a conversation about these things as a nation."