One of Andy Burnham’s cabinet ministers has said she wants to avoid “circular arguments” about whether the UK should rejoin the EU, underlining divisions at the top of government over revisiting Brexit .

Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, appeared to suggest she was not in favour of rejoining the trade bloc, but she said the prime minister should still pursue closer ties to fulfil the promises made at the time of the referendum.

She is one of a handful of cabinet ministers who are concerned about Burnham’s plan for an “honest conversation” with the public about Brexit and who are privately warning it could reopen a row that would only benefit Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

“I do not believe that anybody wants to repeat circular arguments about in or out, leave or remain.…