STEPHEN GLOVER: Wake up and get ready for battle, Brexiteers! Burnham is preparing the ground to rejoin the EU with great speed

The opinion article argues that Labour figures are laying the groundwork for closer ties with the EU and, eventually, possible rejoining, while Brexit supporters are too complacent. It criticises Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s department for linking post-war veterans’ service to repairing Brexit-related damage to ties with Europe, and says the government is using claims about prices, immigration and economic growth to make closer alignment more attractive.

The writer says Andy Burnham supports rejoining, but acknowledges Labour’s 2024 manifesto rules out rejoining the EU, Customs Union or Single Market during this term, meaning full re-entry could only follow an election. The article also challenges Labour MP Stella Creasy’s claim that Brexit has reduced UK GDP per person by 6 to 8 per cent, while arguing that pro-EU claims have not faced enough scrutiny. The supplied article text ends mid-sentence during its discussion of the study behind that estimate.