LABOUR have been accused of “tying themselves in knots” over Brexit after probable leadership contender Andy Burnham performed a screeching U-turn on his desire to rejoin the EU.
Burnham has come under fire after he admitted he would not seek to bring Britain back into the trading bloc as he eyes up a firmly pro-Leave constituency as part of his push to become prime minister.
He is hoping to be selected as the Labour candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election, triggered by the resignation of Josh Simons who quit to clear a path for Burnham to take the keys to No 10 from Keir Starmer.
The beleaguered Prime Minister has resisted growing calls to step down in the face of humbling defeats in recent elections – which saw Labour lose power in Wales, tie with Reform for second place in Scotland and shed more than 1000 councillors across England.
Burnham has previously said he would like to see Britain rejoin the European Union in his lifetime but said on Monday that “the last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments”.
Wes Streeting, the former health secretary who is viewed as another potential successor to Starmer, said over the weekend he would like to see Britain back in Europe, in what could emerge as a major fault line if there is a contest to replace Starmer.
The Scottish Greens said the nascent debate on Europe showed Labour were content to focus on Westminster’s “constitutional obsessions” while refusing to budge on a Scottish independence referendum.
Patrick Harvie, former party co-leader, said: “Keir Starmer’s judgement has already been badly damaged by his appointment of Peter Mandelson, an associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and now his party is tearing itself apart over Brexit, Europe and the toxic agenda of Nigel Farage.
“Scotland does not need Labour’s leadership contenders to tell us that Brexit has been a disaster. We knew that in 2016, when people here voted overwhelmingly to remain in Europe, only to be dragged out by a Westminster system that does not care.
“Scotland deserves better than being ignored and sidelined by a Prime Minister who is clinging on while his own party tears itself apart.
“Keir Starmer says Scotland’s constitutional future is not up for discussion, yet he is quite happy for Labour to tie itself in knots over the refusal to restore Britain’s place in Europe.
“Brexit is a constitutional issue. Scotland’s place in Europe is a constitutional issue. The difference is that Westminster thinks only its own constitutional obsessions are legitimate, while Scotland’s democratic choices can be ignored.”
