Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would welcome an “honest discussion” on whether the UK could return to free movement with the European Union, in an interview with The Sunday Times. He said Britain should pursue a new relationship with Brussels, potentially including full EU membership or joining the single market, and both options would require some form of free movement. He argued that migration during EU membership was mostly younger people staying a few years before returning, which differs from today’s challenges, though free movement had brought “very significant challenges”. Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said there could be “no return” to free movement after the 2016 referendum, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the remarks a “betrayal” of Brexit voters. Burnham also said any major constitutional change would need a fresh mandate at a general election to be held by 2029, and ruled out joining the euro or Schengen; he is expected to set out options for resetting EU relations at a Brussels summit on 20 November.
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Original headline: Burnham opens door to honest discussion on EU free movement
Read the original on voiceofvienna.org ↗
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GBP/USD
• NeutralRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
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| Close on 10/23/2026 | 1.33804 |
| Change that session | -0.15% |
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