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No 10 plays down UK joining EU single market after Burnham suggests referendum would be needed – UK politics live

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2h agoNo 10 plays down talk of UK joining EU single market after Burnham seems to say referendum would be needed for this

Andy Burnham has created confusion about whether or not he would give the public a referendum on rejoining the EU single market.

In a response to a question from a broadcaster, he appeared to say that a referendum would be needed. But there was some ambiguity as to what he said, and sources are saying that no final decision has been made on this point.

At the Labour conference, Burnham said that he wanted a debate on how Britain can establish a closer relationship with the EU. He would not say whether he expected this to lead to a plan to rejoin fully, or to just rejoin the single market, or another option, but he indicated that the first two options at least would only happen after a general election.

In an interview at the end of Labour’s conference, Burnham hinted that a referendum might not even be necessary for Britain to rejoin – but generally he insisted that any discussion of this matter was premature.

Since conference, Burnham has now firmed up that he does now accept that Britain would need to hold a referendum before rejoining the EU and that a government could not do this solely on the basis of an election manifesto pledge. Burnham said this in the Commons in response to a question from the Tory MP Edward Leigh.

Yesterday Ben Riley-Smith, the Sunday Times’ political editor, published articles based on a series of interviews with Burnham over the past 100 days. He reported:

double quotation markBurnham … also said that a new referendum would be needed to rejoin the EU, but not necessarily for joining the single market or the customs union.

For Britain to join the single market, it would have to accept EU freedom of movement rules – allowing EU citizens to come to the UK for a job.

Today, asked by a broadcaster if he would allow the UK to “join the EU freedom of movement without a referendum”, Burnham replied:

double quotation markNo, and I wasn’t saying that yesterday.

I was asked about how things have changed in the 10 years since Brexit. And the truth of the matter is we lost immigration control in the way that we once had.

Burnham seemed to be saying he would not join the single market without a referendum - although he may just have been rejecting the notion that he has already committed to single market membership.

Government sources are briefing that no final decision has been taken on whether joining the single market would require a referendum.

At the Downing Street lobby briefing, asked to clarify the PM’s position, a No 10 spokesperson said:

double quotation markThe prime minister isn’t proposing a return to freedom of movement, or any option.

He is saying that it’s time for us to discuss what kind of long-term relationship with Europe is best for Britain and he is referring to the types of areas that that agreement and long-term future could cover.

He is crucially not leaning either way, and that will be for the British public to decide. And his focus for now is on next month’s summit and the practical arrangements that we hope to make there, which will add billions to the economy.

Key events

Farage defends Reform UK's plan to cut capital gains tax for cryptocurrency assets

Q; Are you still committed to cutting capital gains tax on cryptocurrency assets from 24% to 10%? (Reform UK’s two biggest donors are both crypto billionaires.)

Farage defended the proposals. He said:

double quotation markYou’ve got the choice on crypto. You can leave it to the Wild West. You can leave it completely unregulated. You can leave it where the scammers could operate freely, where people get ripped off, and where the Inland Revenue or HMRC earned virtually nothing. Or you can bring it under regulatory control.

And this is the irony of crypto. I’m the one arguing for regulation and protection for consumers on crypto.

Farage said between 5 million and 7 million people in Britain had cryptocurrency assets. That was more than the number of people owning shares in companies, he said. He went on

double quotation markSo I want it brought under a protective umbrella. And I want a tax rate that makes people declare what their income is. Hence the incentive to do that, bring crypto in from the outside.

Q: What do you think about banking taxes going up in the budget?

Farage said he did not love the banks. He was debanked by one back, and another 10 refused to have him as a customer, he said.

But he claimed bank taxes were already higher than in any other comparable nation. He said it might be possible to squeeze “a bit more” out of the sector. He went on:

double quotation markLoathsome as I think some of their practices are … I do not want a tax rate that makes the banks leave London, because that will make all of us poorer.

Farage said he think the staying out campaign would win a referendum on rejoining the EU “very comfortably indeed”.

He went on:

double quotation markPeople may be frustrated that their hopes were not delivered. I’m one of those.

But a referendum on rejoining? £41bn a year rough estimate of contribution? Commitment to free movement of people? Commitment ultimately to joining the euro?

I can’t see any situation in which the British people vote for that.

Q: This morning Andy Burnham implied free movement could be part of any future deal with the EU, and then No 10 rowed back. What do you think is going on?

Farage said:

double quotation markHe’s all over the place on this and we’re beginning to learn we can’t trust him.

Referring to the forthcoming UK-EU summit, he said:

double quotation markWhat I’m saying is [Burnham] must not agree to anything at that summit without putting to the people in a general election. And if he does that and wins a general election, then he has some mandate to proceed with moving on to closer links with Europe. But I do not believe that anybody could rejoin the European Union without putting it back to the British people.

He also he would be happy to fight an election with rejoining the EU a campaign issue.

Farage defends close ally calling Badenoch 'Nigerian scammer'

Q: [From the Daily Telegraph] Do you think Raheem Kassam was being racist when he called Kemi Badenoch a Nigerian scammer? (Kassam used to work as Nigel Farage’s chief of staff in Ukip, and he is still a close ally and supporter.)

In response, Farage turned on the questioner.

double quotation markBritain’s going broke and you’re asking about what somebody who’s an adjunct of the party says on social media. It shows frankly, the level that we sink to with these debates.

I thought the use of the word scammer was very accurate because she says things often that simply are not true. It’s almost their instinctive response to things. It’s to say things that simply aren’t true.

Farage also said Kassam was of Indian heritage.

Farage says he would bury hatchet with Tories and campaign with them in referendum on joining EU

Q: If there is a second referendum on Brexit, will you form a coalition with the Tories to campaign against rejoining?

Farage said the first referendum showe there were “different constituency audiences” and the leave campaign succeeded because it appealed to different groups, like Labour leavers, Tory leavers and Ukip leavers. He goes on:

double quotation markIt was actually the fact that it was a grand coalition that made it succeed. So I don’t think there’ll be any question, in an issue like that, of burying hatchets.

Farage also said they would stress they were fighting for “independence”. He said he would like to use that description more often.

Farage sarcastically describes parliamentary commissioner for standards as 'utterly unimpeachable'

Q: Are you preparing for a second byelection in Claction (in the event of the parliamentary investigation leading to a recall election)?

Farage replied:

double quotation markIf I comment on that, I’ll be in breach of rules. And, as we all know, our standards, procedure, and our wonderful standards commissioner, are utterly unimpeachable people in absolutely every single way. Thank you so much. What a complete and utter farce the whole thing is.

(Farage was being saracastic, of course.)

Q: What would you say to Tory claims that many of the plans in your document are policies that they have already announced? Like cracking down on bogus degrees.

Farage points out that, even if they are promoting these ideas now, the Tories did not do these things when they were in power.

Q: Do you think voters want a bit more positivity?

Farage says Andy Burnham is positive. He explains:

double quotation markHas [Burnham] got a positive spin? Yes. Is he more engaging than Keir Starmer? Yes. Does he appear a bit more normal than Keir Starmer? Yes.

But what does he actually stand for? And if he wants to unite the country, the one way not to do it is to rerun all the arguments from the referendum ten years ago. And what happened to what he said to the people of Makerfield just a few months ago?

So I begin to genuinely doubt his sincerity. I really, really do.

Farage describes parliamentary investigation into claims he broke Commons rules as a 'farce'

Q: What do you say to Andy Burnham claiming that dealing with illegal migration has become harder since Brexit?

Farage says what Burnham is saying is not true. Under the Dublin convention, which applied to the UK when the UK was in the EU, Britain had to take back more asylum seekers from other countries than it was able to send back, he claims.

Q: Have you any update on the investigation into you by the parliamentary commissioner for standards?

Farage says this topic is “a gem”. He says journalists are allowed to ask about this, but, under the parliamentary rules, Farage is in breach if he even menions publicly that an investigation is taking place.

He goes on:

double quotation markThere are some who think that standards are now being used as a political tool. You may very well think that; I couldn’t possibly comment.

Farage says the process is a “farce”. He adds sarcastically:

double quotation markHe’ll judge at some point, but I’ve no doubt he’ll be fiercely independent.

Robert Jenrick (left) and Nigel Farage at their press conference in London. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Q: [From Serena Barker-Singh from Sky News] How to you respond to Andy Burnham implying people like you lied about the benefits of Brexit?

Farage claims Adam Boulton, the former Sky News political editor, used to say Farage was the only leading person on the leave side who never lied about the potential benefits of Brexit.

double quotation markI would say to the prime minister the opportunities of Brexit have not been delivered. This was the chance of a great escape from a failing European single market, which in terms of foreign direct investment growth and every other metric you could look at was failing …

We’ve not had anything like the potential that Brexit could have delivered. Was it the right thing to do? Undoubtedly. And what would rejoining be? Utterly moronic.