Burnham Opens Door to Talks on Restoring EU Freedom of Movement for Workers
The British prime minister says the country should hold an honest discussion on returning to the bloc's free movement rules as part of a wider reset with Brussels.
By Global Business Media Hub Staff ·
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he wants to discuss Britain returning to the European Union's freedom of movement rules for workers. The issue was central to the 2016 referendum that led the United Kingdom to leave the bloc.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Burnham said the arrival of EU workers before Brexit had created significant challenges. He suggested, though, that this kind of migration was different from what the country faces now. "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."
The comments appeared in a report published on Sunday, based on an interview given on October 19. Burnham has previously raised the possibility that Britain could one day apply to rejoin the EU. A decade after the vote, he said the country should openly examine how immigration has changed since Brexit.
Official figures point to a sharp shift. The Office for National Statistics reported that long-term net migration to the UK almost halved in 2025, dropping to 171,000 from 331,000 the year before. The fall had not been seen since before the post-Brexit immigration system was introduced, as tougher government measures have restricted arrivals.
Burnham said freedom of movement could be considered as one part of a broader reset of relations with the EU, covering areas such as data sharing and migration. He pointed to what Britain has given up. "Consider what we've lost, which was the ability to be part of Eurodac and all the data collaboration around migration," he said. "You've got to see it in the round, rather than just looking at freedom of movement on its own."
The remarks drew a sharp response from Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party. He described them as a "total betrayal of Brexit Britain".
Last month, in his speech to the Labour Party conference, Burnham said Brexit had done "more harm than good". He urged Britain to think about its "long-term relationship" with the EU.
The prime minister is looking for ways to speed up the UK economy. He is due to meet senior EU officials for a summit on November 20.
Source: Al Jazeera
