Conservative shadow minister Mark Francois has said he does not believe Andy Burnham will offer a second referendum on rejoining the EU for fear he would lose.
Speaking on GB News, he said: “The British people, and it’s important to restate this, voted peacefully and democratically to leave the European Union. Burnham doesn’t accept that.
“Burnham wants to rejoin the European Union, despite the fact there’s a poll that’s just come out showing that there’s a clear majority in his own constituency in Makerfield not to do that.
“Remember, when he stood in the by-election; you know he tried to bat away questions about the EU, said that wasn’t the appropriate time to talk about it. Now there’s a summit coming up, he wants to talk about it.
“So look, what’s going on here? He wants to rejoin the EU. He’s trying to soften us up for that. I suspect he’ll never allow another referendum for fear that he would lose it. I believe he would lose it.
“So he’s going to try and do this gradually, a bit like boiling a frog. So we’ll have the summit, and then he’ll tell us there’d be lots of benefits from a closer relationship of some kind, despite the referendum result.
“And then when we get to the general election, be it next May or whenever it is, I suspect – here’s a prediction, there’ll be some weasel words about growing closer with the EU or strengthening our links or something along those lines, and if they win the general election, they will then say, ‘Ah, we have a mandate to rejoin the European Union,’ and they’ll then try and take us back in.
“And when people are up in arms, they’ll say, ‘Well, it was in our manifesto, and the country voted for it.’ So the game’s afoot. That’s what the man’s up to, and I and my Conservative colleagues intend to call him out.
“What you’re looking at is a contribution that we would make to the EU, although we’re not actually in it. It’s a bit like we used to pay money towards EU regional funds, and that was then dispersed around the EU for so-called regeneration in different countries of the European Union.
“We’re not in the European Union; we voted to leave for goodness’ sake. We shouldn’t have to pay money to subsidise regeneration projects in other parts of Europe.
“And oh, by the way, when we’re talking about energy, because Ed Miliband is an eco loon, as we all know, we have effectively the most expensive energy, certainly the most expensive electricity of almost any country in the developed world.
“Anyone who’s trying to run a business that relies on energy, or any homeowner or tenant who’s having to pay their their energy bills, I’m sure would much rather this government did something about reducing the cost of energy in the UK rather than offering to subsidise regional development programmes in the European Union, which we voted to leave.
“The reason Burnham is doing this all it’s all part of a wider plan of desire he has to rejoin the EU and you have to see what he’s doing in that context.”
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