Ex-Labour minister backs Andy Burnham after paving way for Brexit U-turn: 'He's trying to start a debate!'

He said: "We could stay as we are. That's definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay," he told the programme.

"We could look at what George Osborne has said about a customs union, we could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about the single market, or we could go all the way."

Discussing the remarks, GB News host Martin Daubney argued Mr Burnham has "failed the Makerfield test".

Disagreeing with Martin, Sir Ben responded: "I don't believe that, I think what he's trying to do is to start a debate. The world's changed not just in the last 10 years, but in the last two years dramatically.

Sir Ben Bradshaw has backed Andy Burnham after suggesting the UK could rejoin the EU

PA / GB NEWS

"With Trump in the white House, the disappearance of the American security and economic guarantee, and with the invasion of Ukraine, with the war."

Challenging Sir Ben on "what that has to do with the EU", he argued the bloc is the UK's "closest trading partner".

He explained: "All the official statistics would suggest that the leaving European Union has cost us eight per cent of our national wealth. He's not suggesting we rejoin that, he's not even suggesting or saying that he thinks we should rejoin in the long run.

"He's trying to start a national debate about how we could improve the disastrous deal done by Boris Johnson that puts so much red tape in the way of our exporters and young people who want to go and work and study abroad, and I think it's healthy we have that debate."

Criticising Mr Burnham further, Martin told Sir Ben that it appears as though the Prime Minister "thinks he knows better than the public" and will "do whatever it takes to get elected and then do a U-turn".

Disagreeing with Martin, Sir Ben said: "I don't think it's fair to say that Andy thinks he knows better than the public, and the polls indeed would suggest that most of the public think that Brexit has gone badly. If they had the chance again, a majority would vote to stay.

"But the British economy, I would suggest, is doing relatively well compared with the rest of Europe because of some of the policies of the last two years, investment in our public services, stabilising the economy after the disastrous Liz Truss Budget that caused all that chaos."

The former Labour minister urged Mr Burnham to "do what is in the best interest" of the country.

Sir Ben Bradshaw told GB News Andy Burnham must do 'what is in the best interest' of the country

GB NEWS

He made clear: "But I think what the British Government should be doing, and Andy Burnham I hope, is does what he thinks is in the best national interest of our country today and in the future, not reliving the battles of the past.

"We're living in a completely different world today, with America no longer an unreliable ally, with real danger from Putin's Russia, where the war going on in the in the Middle East, having a massive impact on our economy and on the cost of living.

"So I think any responsible Prime Minister doesn't want to close down the debate, he wants to have a debate, and then we'll see what the parties put in their manifestos at the next election, and your viewers and every voter in Britain can vote for the party that they think best represents those views."

Sir Ben concluded: "I think all Andy is trying to do here is to encourage a sensible debate about how we can improve the disastrous deal that this country was left with by Boris Johnson, which has had such a negative impact on our exports, on our farmers and on our young people.

"And I think most people would welcome that, whatever their views. And as I say, when it comes to the next election, they can vote for the party that they think best represents their views on Europe."