ANDY BURNHAM attacked European Union leaders yesterday for imposing right-wing policies across the continent — before saying he wanted Britain to remain a member, writes Luke James. 

Giving his verdict on the Greek crisis, the Labour leadership front-runner said that Athens should accept pension cuts but criticised plans for further austerity and privatisation. 

“The danger is that the EU is becoming associated with a right-of-centre economic orthodoxy that is being imposed on all parts of the EU over and above the heads of the Greek people,” he said.

“They need to accept some pretty big changes, but I don’t think it’s going to build support for the EU if they say you have to do it almost exclusively through spending cuts.” 

He also warned that it would damage public support for the EU in Britain.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to win a referendum if people see the EU as a race to the bottom.”