Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated he would welcome an honest discussion about returning to free movement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, suggesting a new relationship could involve full EU membership or single market access. But the bloc has pushed new members to adopt the Euro, the UK was able to keep the pound when it was an EU member.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Burnham noted that migration dynamics have changed since the pre-Brexit era, moving away from revolving-door movement among young people. However, he stressed he could not envision recommending any arrangement that would involve adopting the euro or joining the Schengen passport-free area. With the Leave campaign raising issues about rules allowing any EU citizen to move to the UK, migration dominated debate during the 2016 Brexit campaign. Quite evidence-based debate about this,” he told the Sunday Times, external, adding he believed the type of migration had changed from revolving door movement of young people, i think you have to have a very factual. The Schengen Agreement allows passport-free travel across EU countries. The frustration for me in the previous debate we had when we had the referendum is that a lot of those facts didn’t get the airtime. Something that is actually going to stop young people here getting jobs.
Angela Rayner, addressing the remarks on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, emphasized that nothing is off the table and that the government must remain pragmatic to secure the best possible deal for Britain. She added that any potential trade-offs should be openly discussed and eventually put before voters at a general election, which is scheduled by 2029. According to he has, Any changes would require a mandate at a general election, would is due by 2029. Having made the decision, we should stick with it and make the most o, i was at the top of a government that was paralysed for several years while we were trying to wrestle with the implications of that vote and I think.
Ahead of an EU summit in Brussels on November 20, where the prime minister is expected to outline options for resetting relations, the comments drew sharp criticism from opposition figures.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch asserted on X that the prime minister had not thought the idea through, writing that it was another example of foot-in-mouth syndrome and recalling that most Brexit voters explicitly rejected free movement.
Former Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt warned that reopening the divisive Brexit debate would be a mistake, arguing that the focus should instead be on helping the one million young people currently out of work or training rather than relying on overseas labor. Low-skilled migrants from overseas,” he added, the last thing they want is their wages being undercut by a load of low wage.
Conversely, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper argued that freedom of movement would boost economic growth and urged the UK to rejoin the single market, the customs union, and the EU defense pact. She claimed the country currently experiences the worst of both worlds on immigration by being excluded from biometric asylum data sharing. Too many politicians have failed to understand the significance and impact of immigration on communities.
Reform UK economy spokesperson Robert Jenrick dismissed the proposition as completely mad, arguing that increased immigration undermines wages for working people and that the country does not need higher migration levels.
While Burnham previously endorsed Labour’s 2024 election manifesto which explicitly ruled out a return to free movement, single market membership, or a customs union, his latest remarks signal a potential willingness to explore future framework adjustments.
