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UNIÓN EUROPEA Andy Burnham opens debate on possible return of free movement with the European Union
The UK prime minister said he wants an evidence-based public debate on future options with Brussels. He also pointed to the single market, the customs union and even possible EU re-entry, while ruling out Schengen and the euro.
Andy Burnham said he wants a frank, evidence-based debate with the British public about whether the UK should consider restoring free movement with the European Union as part of a broader reset with Brussels.
As reported by The Guardian and the BBC, the prime minister has been openly revisiting Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU and has discussed several options, including joining the single market, which would require free movement, or becoming part of the customs union. He has also previously said a new settlement could go as far as taking the UK back into the EU.
In remarks to the Sunday Times, Burnham said free movement came with serious challenges, but argued that European migration looked different a decade ago. He pointed to more temporary patterns of movement, with people coming and later returning home, and said that arrangement also brought reciprocal advantages for Britons, especially younger people wanting to spend time living in Europe.
Both outlets noted that Burnham had already committed to Labour’s 2024 manifesto red lines, which ruled out a return to free movement, single market membership and a customs union. That means any major shift in the UK-EU relationship would likely need to wait for a general election mandate, expected by 2029.
Burnham is due to meet EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on 20 November, where he is expected to set out possible paths for a new relationship with the bloc. At the same time, he said he could not see himself recommending that Britain join the Schengen area or give up the pound in favor of the euro.
The issue revives one of the most contentious arguments of the Brexit era. The Guardian reported that net migration to the UK stood at 335,000 in the 12 months to June 2016, later rising to 944,000 in the year to March 2023 before falling to 171,000 last year.
Burnham’s comments drew immediate criticism from the opposition. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called them a betrayal of Brexit voters, while Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said there could be no return to free movement.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
