No 10 clarifies Andy Burnham’s stance on freedom of movement

The UK government has clarified Andy Burnham’s position on freedom of movement with the European Union after his recent comments sparked debate about Britain’s future relationship with the bloc.

Prime Minister Burnham’s remarks during several interviews over the weekend led some people to believe he was considering allowing EU citizens to move to the UK freely again. His comments also raised questions about whether Britain could eventually rejoin the EU.

Downing Street later stressed that Burnham was not proposing a return to freedom of movement or backing any specific plan at this stage.

A government spokesperson said the prime minister wanted an open discussion with the British public about what kind of long-term relationship the country should have with Europe.

She added that his immediate priority was the UK-EU summit next month, where the government hopes to agree on practical measures that could bring billions of pounds to the British economy.

The spokesperson also said it was too early to confirm whether the public would be asked to vote on any proposals to bring Britain closer to the EU.

Burnham says the public must decide

The debate began after Burnham told the Sunday Times that keeping freedom of movement off the table might no longer be a firm condition in discussions about improving relations with the EU.

His comments led to questions about whether he was prepared to change Labour’s position on immigration and Brexit.

On Monday, Burnham said Britain would not rejoin the EU during the current parliament. He also said he would not abandon the commitments Labour made in its election manifesto.

Asked whether he would allow Britain to join the EU’s freedom-of-movement system without holding a referendum, Burnham answered no.

However, he made clear that he personally hoped Britain might rejoin the EU one day.

He said he wanted to be honest about his own views but would not try to force his opinions on the public. He stressed that the British people must make the final decision.

No immediate plan to reverse Brexit

Burnham also rejected the suggestion that he was trying to hold another Brexit referendum.

He pointed out that he had promised not to repeat the referendum and said the people of Britain, including his own constituents, would decide the country’s future relationship with Europe.

This issue could be politically sensitive in his constituency of Makerfield, where 65% of voters backed leaving the EU in the 2016 referendum.

Burnham said he was not planning to call an early general election to seek support for changing Labour’s position on Europe. He told GMB that no election was expected soon.

However, his comments left open the possibility that he could campaign in a future election for Britain to rejoin the EU.

Better relations with Europe

Burnham is due to attend the UK-EU summit in Brussels on November 20, where he hopes to negotiate a better deal with the bloc.

He believes the current Brexit arrangements have damaged Britain’s economy and made it harder for the country to control immigration effectively.

His comments suggest he wants Britain to reconsider how it works with the EU over the long term, even though he has not announced a specific plan to restore freedom of movement.

For now, the government says no decision has been made about that issue. Officials say the immediate focus is on practical agreements with Europe, while any wider changes to Britain’s future relationship with the EU would require further discussion with the public.