Andy Burnham blames Brexit for low growth... just hours after Labour hailed trade deal only possible outside EU

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The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was described as a 'real Brexit benefit'

Andy Burnham has blamed Brexit for a decade of low growth just hours after Labour hailed a trade deal only possible outside the European Union.

The Prime Minister, who faced his first grilling from MPs in six weeks, argued Britain had taken a "series of wrong turns" since the 1980s.

Mr Burnham included Brexit alongside austerity, privatisation and deindustrialisation.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Burnham said: “Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, the country deindustrialised. Austerity followed, hollowing out councils and depriving them of the agency to act to reverse any of this.

“And then Brexit compounded the damage, ushering in a decade of low growth and stalled regeneration.

"Change begins with honesty and I’m not hearing much of it this afternoon.

“Unless we are blunt about what went wrong, we won’t turn things around.”

Mr Burnham had previously voiced support for rejoining the European Union as Mayor of Greater Manchester.

However, the Labour leader completed an almighty U-turn while campaigning in his Brexit-backing seat of Makerfield earlier this summer.

Brexiteers have expressed fears about Mr Burnham backpedalling on Brexit ahead of the Prime Minister's meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron tomorrow.

He is also expected to meet leaders at an "EU reset" meeting in November.

Despite blasting the UK's departure from the EU in today's Commons outing, Labour ministers today hailed Britain's biggest post-Brexit trade deal.

Chancellor John Healey and Trade Minister Lord Sarwar welcomed the UK finally securing full access to the Comprehensive & Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who negotiated the agreement, labelled the UK's inclusion in the CPTPP as a "real Brexit benefit" after the accord was signed in 2024.

Brussels rules meant Britain could never have struck this deal alone and was subject to negotiations led by the European Commission to strike trade agreements on behalf of the bloc.

Brexit handed the UK back control of its own trade policy, including the CPTPP trading bloc which is worth almost £13trillion.

Despite Labour once expressing fury at the deal, Mr Healey today said: "Full access to this trading block opens the door to new customers, contracts and investment for British businesses.

"We are backing UK firms to take full advantage of these opportunities, so they can boost their exports and help drive growth and well-paid jobs everywhere."

Lord Sarwar added: "With full access to the CPTPP, there are now new opportunities for British businesses across some of the world’s fastest-growing markets."

The UK gained access to the CPTPP today after Canada became the final member to ratify the UK's accession.

The agreement now covers all 11 member countries and is expected to add around £2billion a year to the UK economy in the long run.

Business visitors to Canada will also benefit from longer stays, up to six months rather than 90 days.

Meanwhile, firms in both countries will gain wider access to each other's public procurement markets, including air transport and financial services.

Over 99 per cent of current UK goods exports to CPTPP countries will be eligible for zero tariffs, with consumers also set to benefit from cheaper imports such as Chilean and Peruvian fruit juice and Mexican chocolate.

Agri-tech firm EmTech said the deal had already boosted its exports to Peru, Mexico and Canada, with further opportunities expected as full UK accession takes effect.