Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would welcome an “honest discussion” about whether the United Kingdom could return to free movement with the European Union, reopening one of the most divisive questions of the Brexit era.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Burnham said Britain should pursue a new relationship with Brussels, potentially including full EU membership or joining the single market. Both options would require some form of free movement between Britain and EU countries.
“I think you have to have a very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this,” he said.
His comments immediately drew sharp criticism. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said there could be “no return” to free movement after the 2016 EU referendum. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage went further, calling the prime minister’s remarks a “betrayal” of voters who supported Brexit.
Burnham had previously supported Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which ruled out restoring free movement, joining the single market or entering a customs union. He has also said that any major constitutional change would need a fresh mandate at a general election, which must be held by 2029, reported by BBC News.
Migration was central to the 2016 Brexit campaign, when Leave supporters argued that EU rules allowed any citizen of the bloc to move to Britain. Burnham, however, suggested that migration during Britain’s EU membership had been different from today’s challenges.
“It was generally younger people, not always, but spending a few years, then going back,” he said. “And obviously the ease of that worked for British people as well.”
He acknowledged that free movement had brought “very significant challenges”, but argued that temporary, “revolving door” migration differed from the current balance of migration.
Burnham’s willingness to revisit Britain’s relationship with Europe has marked his first months in office. In September, he told the BBC that Britain could go “all the way” towards rejoining the EU.
Still, he ruled out joining the euro or the Schengen passport-free travel area. “I can’t see myself ever recommending anything that would involve joining the euro or Schengen,” he said.
His remarks come before a summit in Brussels on 20 November, where he is expected to present options for resetting relations with the EU.
Philp accused Burnham of seeking to “hand back control of our borders”, while Farage said the prime minister had betrayed both Brexit Britain and voters in Makerfield, the Greater Manchester seat Burnham won at a by-election in June.
