UK PM Burnham says he wants to discuss a return to EU freedom of movement
Summary
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain should discuss whether to return to the EU’s freedom-of-movement rules as part of a broader reset in relations with Brussels. He said migration has changed since Brexit and that discussions should also consider data sharing and other forms of cooperation.Key Facts
- Burnham raised the possibility of discussing freedom of movement for workers between the UK and EU.
- He said the pre-Brexit arrival of EU workers posed challenges, but described migration patterns at the time as different from those today.
- Burnham said freedom of movement should be considered alongside data sharing and cooperation on migration, including participation in Eurodac, an EU database used for migration-related information.
- The article reports that UK long-term net migration fell to 171,000 in 2025, from 331,000 in 2024, citing the Office for National Statistics.
- Immigration was a major issue in the 2016 Brexit referendum, in which UK voters narrowly chose to leave the EU.
- Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, called Burnham’s remarks a “total betrayal of Brexit Britain.”
- Burnham said at the Labour Party conference that Brexit had done “more harm than good” and urged consideration of the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU.
- The article says Burnham was due to meet senior EU officials at a summit on November 20.
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