Ed Davey challenges Burnham to vote for single market and warns of “lost decade” on living standards since Brexit

EMBARGO: 0600 Tuesday 23rd June

Ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has challenged Andy Burnham to abandon the Government’s timidity over Europe and vote for an upcoming Liberal Democrat amendment to join the single market.

The proposed amendment to the European Partnership Bill would place a duty on the Government to begin negotiations with the EU on the UK joining the single market, tearing down the trade barriers that have crippled British businesses in the ten years since the 2016 referendum.

The Liberal Democrats warned that the Labour government's rigid adherence to its red lines is crippling growth, holding the British economy back and costing the country £90 billion a year in lost tax revenue.  A recent study of Bank of England company data estimated the UK economy has taken a 6% hit from the effects of Brexit.

It comes as the country marks a lost decade of falling living standards and economic stagnation since the Brexit vote, with ordinary households continuing to pay the price while Nigel Farage benefits from a £5 million gift he has described as a "reward" for his role in delivering Brexit.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

"The British public can see the hard truth that most politicians refuse to admit: the Conservatives’ Brexit experiment has failed.

"While ordinary families have suffered a lost decade of falling living standards, Nigel Farage has walked away with a £5 million Brexit reward.

“This is a defining moment. If Andy Burnham wants to deliver the change the Labour Party promised, he needs to vote for our amendment to get Britain into the Single Market. This is the single most effective step we can take to turbocharge growth, tackle the cost of living crisis and fix the UK's broken relationship with Europe.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Liberal Democrat amendment would place a duty on the Government to begin negotiations with the EU on the UK joining the single market - by accessing the European Economic Area (EEA) as a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The party would seek to secure a meaningful vote on this amendment at either Committee stage or Report stage, once the Bill has been published and moves through the House of Commons. The party has already confirmed that it will seek to table a separate amendment, requiring the Government to negotiate a UK-EU customs union.

Farage admitted £5m donation was Brexit reward as detailed here.

Brexit cost 6% of UK economy, Bank of England company data suggests (BBC News).