𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour is in chaos over Brexit after John Healey insisted Britain will not rejoin the EU in his lifetime. The Chancellor’s comments come days after Andy Burnham reiterated his desire for the UK to return to Brussels within his lifetime. In an interview with Channel 4, Mr Healey was asked if he agreed with the Prime Minister’s comments. He replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”

It comes after Mr Burnham told Good Morning Britain earlier this week that he wanted to see the UK back in the EU within his lifetime but would not “move ahead of the public”. Mr Healey also appeared to suggest the economy might not be growing faster if Britain was still in the EU.

He told LBC: “I don’t actually accept that. I mean, it’s been – it’s certain Brexit has certainly hit our level of growth. It’s certainly hit our level of trade.

“But we had a referendum. We’re out of the EU. The challenge for me now is how do we make the best of an economy which this year has proved remarkably resilient. It’s confounded the forecasters.”

The Chancellor’s comments come after the PM told his Cabinet to avoid publicly backing specific options for the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

Mr Burnham is due to set out options for closer ties with Brussels at a joint summit next month.

He has not ruled out a pledge to rejoin the bloc in Labour’s next manifesto.

But he has faced a backlash from Brexiteers after he promised not to “re-run” Brexit arguments when he was standing in the by-election in Leave-voting Makerfield.

Any major change would need to come after the next election as Mr Burnham has pledged to stand by Labour’s 2024 “red lines” on not returning to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement.