Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ruled out rejoining the European Union's single market, telling MPs at Prime Minister's Questions on 11 November that the government is honouring its manifesto.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey asked whether the Prime Minister would cut welfare, help young people into work and grow the economy by joining the EU's single market. Burnham rejected the call outright.

Burnham said the government was honouring its manifesto to have deeper ties with Europe, and that there was the prospect of a deal with Europe that could add up to 0.4% to GDP. He also promised to present his 10-year plan for Britain to Parliament before its Christmas break.

Manifesto red lines

The exchange came after weeks of speculation about the direction of the government's European policy. Burnham has said he would like to see the UK return to the EU in his lifetime, but has ruled out rejoining before the next election, saying: "I'm not proposing rejoining in this Parliament. We're way, way away from that at this particular moment in time."

Labour's manifesto red lines rule out a return to the single market, the customs union and freedom of movement during this Parliament. Burnham has also said he is open to an honest discussion about the future of the UK's relations with the EU, but has denied proposing a return to freedom of movement.

Claims circulating on social media that Burnham had announced the UK would rejoin the EU are false. No such announcement has been made, and fact-checkers confirmed on 11 November that the Prime Minister has made no commitment to rejoin the bloc.

Welfare and young people

Davey also pressed the Prime Minister on welfare, telling the Commons that young people could not be left without the dignity of work and the chance to get on, while the welfare bill also needed to come down. He said the blame for youth unemployment did not lie with young people.

Burnham agreed that cutting benefits for young people without support to get into work would be wrong. He said the government would set out more detail on support for young people not in education, employment or training.

The Prime Minister also used the session to defend his government's record, pointing to action on energy bills and plans for a national care service, and to challenge the Conservatives over their own welfare proposals.

EU summit ahead

The single market question will not go away. Burnham is due to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a UK-EU summit in Brussels on 20 November, where he is expected to seek targeted agreements to deepen cooperation, including on food and farming standards, while holding to the manifesto red lines.

For now, the Prime Minister's message to the Commons was clear: closer ties with Europe, yes, but no return to the single market in this Parliament.