Nigel Farage thanks Andy Burnham for gifting Reform UK leader 'biggest boost in my career' by reopening Pandora's box of Brexit, telling the PM: 'Bring it on'

Nigel Farage thanks Andy Burnham for gifting Reform UK leader 'biggest boost in my career' by reopening Pandora's box of Brexit, telling the PM: 'Bring it on' Nigel Farage has thanked Andy Burnham for gifting him the 'biggest boost in my career' by reopening the Pandora's box of Brexit. The Reform UK leader said the Prime Minister has made a 'big political mistake' by unveiling plans to take Britain back into Europe's orbit, telling Mr Burnham: 'Bring it on.' Mr Farage vowed to start campaigning for Britain to remain independent 'from this moment on' after the PM used his Labour conference speech to denounce Brexit. Mr Burnham claimed the 2016 deal had done 'more harm than good' and said he would unveil a series of 'options' for Britain's future relationship with Brussels, including embracing the single market and customs union, and even rejoining the EU. Mr Farage said Mr Burnham 'has made a very big political mistake here' and has 'put me back into the debate about the European Union'. At a Reform campaign rally in Doncaster on Thursday, Mr Farage said: 'If Andy Burnham, the king of the North, wants the fight in Doncaster and the Red Wall with me on rejoining the European Union, then bring it on, I say. 'He might just have given me the biggest boost in my career I've ever, ever had. Thank you, Andy, if you're watching.' Predicting Labour was gearing up for an early election next spring, Mr Farage said: 'I'm back. I'm back on the road, and today is when our general election campaign starts. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has thanked Prime Minister Andy Burnham for gifting him the 'biggest boost in my career' by reopening the Pandora's box of Brexit 'And I will be out on the road every week between now and the general election. Whether it happens this year or next spring or in three years' time, we are back out actively campaigning and fighting.' Mr Burnham provoked fury when during his Labour conference speech he declared that the UK could go 'all the way' back into the EU. And he refused to rule out a fresh referendum vote on rejoining the bloc despite admitting it would be 'divisive'. It came just a few months after he insisted while campaigning to be elected in a Leave-voting constituency he did not want to 're-run' the arguments over Brexit or 'undermine' the result of a decade ago. Mr Farage's comments came as Downing Street tests public support for the prospect of Britain returning to the EU. Aides to Mr Burnham are said to be talking to think tanks and pollsters about how people would view a pledge to rejoin, after the Prime Minister reopened the Brexit wars at Labour Party conference. Recent surveys show that in principle more than half of Britons want to go back into the bloc (55 per cent) with only a third (34 per cent) opposed. However YouGov found that support for rejoin plummets to just one in three (35 per cent) if the price is ditching the pound for the Euro and signing up to the Schengen visa-free zone, with opposition rising to four in ten (43 per cent). Even some in Cabinet are thought to be wary with one minister telling The I Paper there was 'no appetite' for going back. Yet the PM is forging ahead with his plan to improve relations with Brussels and has set aside a major obstacle to a new deal being agreed. The UK and EU are said to have set aside a disagreement over whether Britain's manufacturers could join the 'Made in Europe' initiative to ensure next month's summit goes ahead. Another long-running dispute over students from the continent getting cut-price tuition fees at British universities will also be left off the agenda, according to the Financial Times. Instead the deal will focus on agreeing a youth mobility scheme – which will allow under-30s to work and study here – as well as removing trade barriers for food and linking carbon emissions trading. A Government spokesman said: 'We are building an ambitious, close relationship with the EU that will strengthen our economy and unlock good growth in every postcode.'