Andy Burnham has denied proposing a return of free movement in talks between the UK and EU, saying any decision about the future relationship will be led by the will of the British people. His comments came as two senior ministers expressed caution about the talk of the UK returning as a full member of the EU or single market and the consequences of a return to free movement. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said on Monday she wanted to abide by Labour’s manifesto, which ruled out free movement.
In an interview with ITV, Burnham said he wanted an “honest discussion” about how leaving the EU had affected migration, saying it was replacing temporary migrants from Europe with those from elsewhere who had more dependents and settled for longer. A draft text has been circulated among the 27 EU members, suggesting a final deal is close. The Guardian reported that UK ministers were prepared to spend as much as £450m a year to give students from the EU discounted university fees if Brussels allowed the UK access to its Made in Europe industrial programme.
Burnham told ITV that he believed public opinion had shifted on EU membership but he would “not run ahead of public opinion. The public need to be the boss when it comes to whatever happens with Brexit.” He said for this parliament he was committed to the red lines in Labour’s manifesto, ruling out a return to the customs union, single market or free movement. Mahmood, who introduced sweeping changes to migration rules in parliament on Monday, said she would not indulge the speculation about freedom of movement.
Asked if she had been consulted about the prime minister’s comments, she said she had discussed the issue with Burnham. We had a manifesto commitment not to reopen in this parliament the question of freedom of movement, and that will not change in this parliament.” The immigration minister, Anna Turley, told Sky she wanted to prioritise getting more young British people into jobs.
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