Burnham Urges UK to Consider Return to EU Free Movement
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for the UK to consider a return to free movement with Europe. In an interview with the Sunday Times, he said that staying out of free movement would no longer be a red line in talks with the EU. Free movement is the right of people to live and work across EU countries without a visa, and it ended for Britain with Brexit.
The interview was conducted on October 19 and published on Sunday, October 25. Burnham said that rejoining the single market, the EU's shared trading area, and accepting free movement could be done without another referendum, provided Labour put it in its manifesto, the party's published programme for a general election. He said that fully rejoining the EU would require another in-out referendum, a vote on whether to stay in or leave.
Burnham said free movement carried very significant challenges, which he had raised during his earlier time in Parliament. He called for a "factual" and "evidence-based debate" on the subject, according to the BBC. He also said Britain should have an "honest discussion" about how immigration has changed since Brexit, and that migration before Brexit was not "as difficult" as it is now.
Within his party, the response has included support and caution. Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, backed his call for an honest discussion about freedom of movement. She told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that she would like an honest conversation about trade-offs, and then put that to the public at a general election. Rayner also said that Burnham was not re-running the Brexit debate, and that nothing was "off the table" in the debate over his EU proposals. Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow and chair of Labour Movement for Europe, also supported the call.
According to the Guardian, Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, is among senior cabinet ministers in favour of reopening discussion on a closer EU relationship, which could involve a return to the single market and free movement. Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has previously been more cautious about closer ties with Europe. Jonathan Hinder, MP for Pendle, pressed the prime minister in Parliament to rule out a return to free movement.
Burnham's latest comments follow a statement to Parliament on October 12, in which he said the UK needs to consider a new deal with the EU. He said he would press for an agreement to improve trade relations at a summit the following month, according to Reuters. The Times reported that ministers were expected to fall in line behind his position.
