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No 10 plays down UK joining EU single market after Burnham suggests referendum would be needed – as it happened

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Andy Burnham has claimed that a debate on the UK’s future relationship with the EU could “bring people together who voted in different ways” in 2016. Brexit had not “played out” like it was promised to the public, he said in an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. But he subsequently caused some confusion by seeming to imply that he would only take the country back into the EU single market after a referendum. (See 2pm.) Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss this more in the latest episode of our Politics Weekly UK podcast.

Capita’s attempt to improve its performance over the running of the Civil Service pension scheme has been labelled as “abysmal” by a Cabinet Office minister. Speaking in the Commons, Sally Jameson said the outsourcing giant had failed to improve after thousands of civil servants had been left waiting for payments and retirement quotes. As the Press Association reports, Jameson said she would not rule out in-sourcing the pension scheme’s management after calls from MPs and unions. She said:

double quotation markSince taking up this role I have met with the CEO and his senior team twice, and on two occasions I have expressed in no uncertain terms my outrage at their performance throughout this contract.

We were promised, and I quote, ‘the most AI-enabled pensions service’, and it’s fair to say that Capita have comprehensively failed to deliver on that commitment.

This progress overall has been abysmal. Complex issues remain unresolved for too long, 1,800 cases for over a year and while some individuals have more than one case, there is too many members and family left waiting in limbo.

Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has pledged to provide answers to Henry Nowak’s family, as she announced an independent review into the student’s murder. (See 4.07pm.)

For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.

Andy Burnham and John Healey visiting St Martin‑in‑the‑Fields, a homeless charity in central London, today. Photograph: Ian Vogler/Reuters

Key events

Badenoch claims Labour 'all over the place on defence spending' in light of Burnham interview

Kemi Badenoch posted this on social media about Andy Burnham’s comments about defence spending in his Good Morning Britain interview this morning. (See 10.32am.)

double quotation markThe government are all over the place on defence spending. I don’t think Andy Burnham realises he commits to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 in this interview...his Defence Secretary won’t even make that commitment!

When the government are saying Britain needs to be ready for war in 1000 days, hitting a defence spending target in 2035 is too late. Getting to 3% by 2030 means spending the money to be ready NOW, not in 9 years time.

That makes two comments in TV interviews today where Burnham seemed to go beyond what he intended in an answer. The other was what he said about a referendum on joining the single market. (See 2pm.)

During his press conference, Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s Treasury spokesperson claimed that his party’s plan to bring back imperial measures might be good for growth because it could help exports to the US. (See 2.52pm.)

Jernick is right to say that some of the words used in the US are the same. But, as a reader has pointed out, in the US customary system, although the terminology may be identifcal, the units of volume are actually different. A British imperial pint is not the same as a US pint. Jenrick’s policy won’t help exporters who think otherwise.

Mahmood announces review into murder of Henry Nowak, to be carried out by former Tory justice secretary Alex Chalk

Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has pledged to provide answers to Henry Nowak’s family, as she announced an independent review into the student’s murder, the Press Association reports. PA says:

double quotation markThe review will be led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk and will look at “any missed opportunities to intervene”, Mahmood told the Commons.

The 18-year-old died after being fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton on 3 December 2025. Nowak was handcuffed as he lay dying, after Digwa, a Sikh, falsely accused him of racial abuse. In police body-worn camera footage Nowak can be heard repeatedly saying: “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.”

At Home Office questions in the Commons, Mahmood said: “I can announce an independent review led by a former lord chancellor, the right honourable Alex Chalk KC. It will investigate what was known about the perpetrator, including any missed opportunities to intervene. It will look at the Nowak family’s experience of the criminal justice system and whether they were supported in the manner they should have been.

“Once the Independent Office for Police Conduct has concluded its investigation into the police response, this review will also consider the actions of the IOPC and, if necessary, the police.

“The full terms of reference have been published today, and an initial report will be submitted to me within five months.

“We must get to the truth of what happened before, during, and after that awful night, and we must do everything in our power to ensure that no family suffers the same fate.

“We owe that to Henry and to all who loved him. They deserve answers, and this review will provide them.”

Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years on 1 June this year, for Mr Nowak’s murder.

As Paul Brand from ITV reports, Nowak’s family have welcomed the review, saying they hoped it would “finally uncover the full truth and deliver the accountability and meaningful change we have fought too hard for”.

Q: Is Reform UK still committed to its Britannia Card policy, which would allow non-doms to avoid UK taxes in return for paying £250,000?

Jenrick said current government policy was chasing away wealthy and talented people. He went on:

double quotation markReform set out a policy a year ago. Could we do better than that? I think we actually could do, because I believe that if we enacted these policies (see 12.46pm and 2.42m), if we got a sense of excitement back into the British economy, then we might even be able to charge more than £250,000. And so we’ll be saying more about that in the near future.

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.