The prime minister has said he would be open to an “honest discussion” about the possibility of reintroducing free movement between the UK and the European Union.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Andy Burnham said he wanted to establish a new relationship with Brussels, potentially involving full EU membership or joining the single market, both of which would require free movement.
“I think you have to have a very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this,” he told the newspaper.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp insisted there could be “no return” to free movement following the 2016 EU referendum, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused the prime minister of betraying voters who backed Brexit.
Burnham has previously pledged to uphold Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which ruled out restoring free movement, joining the single market or re-entering a customs union.
He has said any major changes to that position would require a mandate from voters at a general election, which must take place by 2029.
Migration was a central issue during the 2016 Brexit campaign, with the Leave campaign highlighting concerns over rules that allowed EU citizens to move freely to the UK.
However, the prime minister suggested that migration during the years of EU membership was “different” from the challenges Britain faces today.
“It was generally younger people, not always, but spending a few years, then going back,” he told the Sunday Times.
“And obviously the ease of that worked for British people as well.”
He acknowledged that freedom of movement “had very significant challenges associated with it”.
“Revolving door migration where people would come and then go back is different,” he said.
“The balance of migration has changed, hasn’t it, since then? I think we’ve just got to have an honest discussion about those things.”
Burnham’s readiness to revisit some of the most contentious issues in British politics has been a defining feature of his first months in office.
During a BBC interview in September, Burnham said the UK could go “all the way” towards rejoining the European Union.
However, in his latest comments, the prime minister emphasised: “I can’t see myself ever recommending anything that would involve joining the euro or Schengen.”
The Schengen Agreement enables passport-free travel between participating European countries. Although the UK retained the pound while it was an EU member, the bloc has encouraged new members to adopt the single currency.
The comments came ahead of a meeting with EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on 20 November, where Burnham is expected to present proposals for resetting relations between the UK and the bloc.
The shadow home secretary argued that restoring EU free movement would mean “handing back control of our borders and allowing uncontrolled migration from across Europe”.
Philp said: “The British people voted to end free movement, and there can be no return to it.”
Burnham won the Greater Manchester constituency of Makerfield in a by-election in June, before becoming prime minister the following month. The constituency voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum.
During his by-election campaign, Burnham had promised not to “re-run” Brexit debates and said he was “not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU”.
Responding to the Sunday Times interview, Farage said: “This is a total betrayal of Brexit Britain and his Makerfield pitch”.
“He is also deluded to say immigration was different when we were members of the EU. We will fight this dishonesty,” the Reform UK leader added.
