Reported by The Guardian
Former chancellor says leaving European Union has made Britain ‘poorer, weaker and less secure’
The former chancellor Rachel Reeves has argued Britain’s future should be back in the European Union , saying Brexit has made the UK “poorer, weaker and less secure.”
In her first major intervention since leaving the Treasury when Andy Burnham took office, she said those forging a path back towards EU membership had to make compelling arguments to the public.
More from the original report
Reeves, who was sacked as chancellor by Burnham, said in an article for the Sunday Times that no one who worked with her in the Treasury could be in doubt about her pro-European instincts. “I am proud of the progress we have already made in strengthening our relationship with the European Union. Brexit has made us poorer, weaker and less secure,” she said.
“There is a debate to be had about our future relationship with Europe , and I welcome Andy Burnham’s leadership in facing up to this. No one in the Treasury ever doubted where my instincts were.”
The current focus for British negotiations is the EU summit later this month to seal an agreement to ease some trading restrictions and a youth mobility deal. But the prime minister has made it clear he wants to see a long-term and stable relationship with the bloc.
Burnham has said he believes there should be “honest discussion” about freedom of movement and that rejoining the single market could be done without the need for another referendum, if Labour put it in its manifesto. In contrast, he said fully rejoining would need another in-out poll.
In her article, Reeves said it was “incumbent on supporters of our re-entry to make the argument, demonstrate tangible benefits and to get the next steps right”.
At his last cabinet meeting, Burnham warned individual ministers not to express their opinions about how the government should approach Brexit, but said the Conservatives’ deal with Brussels had been more extreme than that promised in the 2016 referendum.
It follows reports that some ministers , including Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, have worries about the…