Andy Burnham has said he would not return the UK to EU freedom of movement rules without a referendum, insisting he will “never move ahead of the British public when it comes to Brexit”.
It comes after his call at the weekend for an “honest discussion” about a return to freedom of movement fuelled questions about the parameters around his vision for a deepening relationship with Brussels.
The Prime Minister was asked on Monday morning if he would allow the UK to join the EU freedom of movement scheme without a referendum.
He said: “No, I mean I wasn’t saying that yesterday. I was asked about how things have changed in the 10 years since Brexit, and the truth of the matter is we’ve lost immigration control in the way that we once had.
Flags and banners outside the Houses of Parliament during the Brexit referendum (PA)
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“For instance, the small boats crisis has arisen in the last 10 years because we lost that returns agreement when people came here that we could work with other countries to return them.
“And when it comes to immigration more broadly, we’re seeing a situation where people are coming here to settle permanently in a way that we had more revolving door migration in the EU.”
Mr Burnham said the UK needed to “have an honest discussion about that and take steps back to get a more functional relationship again” ahead of a summit with the bloc in November.
“I want to use that opportunity to get a practical deal in place to support our farmers, our food manufacturers, but also to increase collaboration on immigration because we lost that and we need to get it back.
“So I’m talking about practical steps to deal with the things that matter to people, and I will never move ahead of the British public when it comes to Brexit.”
The Prime Minister had earlier ruled out the possibility of rejoining the EU within this Parliament, signalling that he could fight the next general election on a promise to take the UK back into the bloc.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I’m not proposing any changes in this Parliament. I’m not going to move away from the red lines that were in the Labour manifesto.”
Asked when the public could expect to see a manifesto proposing a return to the EU, Mr Burnham ruled out an early general election but left the door open to fighting the next vote on a promise to rejoin.
Andy Burnham will meet EU chiefs for a key summit in Brussels on November 20 (PA)
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“No time soon, if at all, it’s not. It’s not about that. My mind isn’t on that. I don’t know if that is coming over here, but it genuinely is not on that. There is no election coming anytime soon,” he said.
Mr Burnham will meet EU chiefs including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for a key summit in Brussels on November 20 as he seeks to strike a better deal with the bloc.
The Prime Minister wants to consider various longer-term options for a new relationship with Brussels, potentially including a return to full EU membership or joining the single market – which would require free movement.
Mr Burnham told the Sunday Times he wanted to have a “very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this” as he acknowledged freedom of movement “had very significant challenges associated with it”.
He said he could not imagine recommending joining the Schengen borderless area or ditching the pound to adopt the euro.