Fears of Brexit betrayal after Sir Tony Blair demands Burnham plots a return to EU within a decade

SIR Tony Blair has demanded Andy Burnham plots a return to the EU within a decade – declaring “everything” should be on the table. The intervention has sparked fears of a Brexit betrayal as it comes days after Mr Burnham did not rule out pledging to rejoin the bloc in a future manifesto. Sir Tony called for a pledge to rejoin a reformed Europe to be put at the heart of the Government’s ten-year plan. The former PM claimed Brits would vote differently if the 2016 Brexit referendum was held again today and that the promised benefits of leaving the EU had “not materialised”. The comments are contained in the foreword to a major new report by the Tony Blair Institute setting out a new blueprint for Britain’s relationship with Brussels. The TBI argued the Prime Minister should work towards rejoining a “significantly reformed” EU over the next decade and drop Labour’s red lines. READ MORE NEWS Free movement, payments to Brussels, the Single Market and customs union should all be considered again, it said. Sir Tony wrote: “Britain should signal an intention if the terms are right to enter into a structured formal relationship with Europe and initiate a process of negotiation where everything is on the table, but nothing agreed until everything is agreed.” The report said ending free movement “deserves to be examined again” and argued it could help Britain secure much deeper access to the Single Market. Britain should also be willing to follow common EU rules and make financial contributions where ministers decide the benefits are worth it, the report added.. Most read in The Sun But Sir Tony made clear his proposed EU comeback is conditional on Brussels changing too. He said he wanted a Europe on a “credible path to reform” on its economy, defence, immigration and the way it operates. Sir Tony wrote: “We should be clear that we want back into a formal relationship with the EU. But it must be a Europe on a credible path to reform, a Europe of nation states, a Europe capable of being a genuine global power.” The Tories last night insisted Labour “should stop trying to turn back the clock and instead focus on setting out serious proposals for the future”. Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Mike Wood blasted: “Andy Burnham has left the door open to rejoining the EU and now Tony Blair is piling the pressure on him to drag us back into the bloc.” A Reform UK spokesman also said: “Tony Blair needs to accept he lost this battle long ago. And he should know better than anyone that Brussels has never reformed and never will. “Britain voted to leave the European Union, and we should get on with making Brexit work rather than endlessly discussing how to reverse it.”