British PM Burnham Open to Restoring Free Movement Between UK and EU

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled openness to restarting free movement of people between the United Kingdom and the European Union, as the two sides prepare for a leaders' summit next month. His remarks add a new dimension to the debate over reshaping the post-Brexit relationship.

From Brussels it was reported that Burnham suggested a return to free movement would not be a red line in the talks, as immigration trends have changed since the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016. However, he said he would not jump to a firm position on the issue just yet.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Burnham said freedom of movement had very significant challenges associated with it and that he had spoken about them during his previous time in parliament. At the same time, he said, it was a type of immigration that perhaps was not as difficult as the current situation.

He said revolving-door migration, where people would come and then go back, is different. In his words, the balance of migration has changed, and there simply needs to be an honest discussion about these things.

At the Labour Party conference in September, Burnham said he was weighing different options for a reset of relations with the 27-country bloc. He did not elaborate in his conference speech on which options he would present.

Different figures within Labour, however, have argued for different paths: some for joining the EU single market, some for the customs union, and others for rejoining the bloc wholesale. Joining the single market would require the UK to sign up to the EU's rules permitting free movement of people.

Burnham's stance on freedom of movement marks a significant shift from the Labour Party's 2024 manifesto, which ruled out a return to the single market, the customs union or free movement.

His comments come a month ahead of the 20 November summit, where the EU and the UK hope to sign off on a set of agreements ranging from trade to climate regulations.

In the interview, Burnham also set out his own red lines, saying he could not see himself ever recommending anything that would involve joining the euro or the Schengen system.

Nearly a decade after Brexit, the debate over where UK-EU relations are heading is intensifying again. The prime minister's flexible signal on an issue as sensitive as free movement is expected to fuel that debate further.

The focus now is on how far the two sides can get at the 20 November summit, and when Burnham formally presents the options he is weighing.