New campaign against EU membership launches ahead of UK-EU summit

A new campaign against the UK rejoining the European Union has been launched ahead of a UK-EU summit next week.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is exploring closer ties with the bloc and is expected to sign new agreements on food, energy and youth mobility on 20 November, arguing a "win-win" deal can be struck.

But Stay Out has warned any future attempt to rejoin the EU could prove costly to taxpayers and the UK should "move on and spend our money on our own priorities".

The group has received support from Lord Gove, chairman of the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 EU referendum, who warned reopening the Brexit question would "commit the country to another decade of fractious negotiations".

He said: "Rejoining would mean handing back control of our laws, borders, money and trade, and paying a good deal more for membership than we did before."

He added people are "desperate for Westminster to get on with delivering on their priorities" rather than looking to rejoin the EU.

Stay Out is chaired by Oliver Lewis, who also worked for Vote Leave, and acted as deputy chief negotiator for the UK government in trade negotiations with the bloc.

Lewis said: "The country has had enough of arguing about Europe, and it is time to move on and spend our money on our own priorities."

The campaign's launch has been accompanied by analysis from the group which claims rejoining the EU would cost the UK £39.3bn a year in contributions, or £750m a week.

BBC News has not independently verified the group's calculations.

Burnham has argued that Brexit has done "more harm than good" but has ruled out major changes to the UK's relationship with the EU before the next general election.

He has said he wants to examine the "pros and cons" of the options for Britain's long-term relationship with the bloc.

In September, Burnham was asked if he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU. He replied that he wanted to "look at the options".

The prime minister added that he had previously advocated such a move within his lifetime, whilst acknowledging it was "not necessarily the case that that is now".