Burnham says he would like Britain to rejoin the EU, but 'the British public are the bosses'

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday that he would like the UK to rejoin the European Union, according to the Guardian's live politics coverage. He added that the British public, not the government, should have the final say, saying 'the British public are the bosses.'

Burnham argued that discussing a changed relationship with the bloc would not be divisive and could help unite people. The comments follow his call the day before for an 'honest discussion' on EU free movement ahead of a Brussels summit in November, a reported earlier position that his remarks on Monday build on.

The source material available does not set out what rejoining would involve, whether it would be put to a referendum, or what steps the government plans to take before the November summit. It also does not include the full wording of his remarks or any response from opposition parties, so the reporting here relies on the headline and summary of the live blog.