Labour figures urge serious rethink on free movement as EU ties come back into focus
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Senior Labour voices, including Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, backed Andy Burnham's call for an open and pragmatic debate about restoring free movement with the EU, while some party members warned against rushing into a politically charged move.
Labour leader Andy Burnham has called for an honest discussion about restoring free movement with the European Union, arguing that the balance of migration has changed since the UK left the bloc. He said the kind of migration seen under EU membership was less difficult to manage than the current system, and that the country should be mature enough to confront that reality.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner backed Burnham's position, calling it "just pragmatism" and saying the public should judge what delivers the best outcome for Britain. "You can't take anything off the table when you're having a conversation," Rayner told Sky News, underlining a willingness to examine options that Brexit politics once ruled out.
Labour MP Stella Creasy, who chairs the Labour Movement for Europe, said the UK is "long overdue for a grown-up conversation" about the impact of free movement on supply chains and jobs. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also indicated support for a closer relationship with the EU, potentially including a return to the single market, reflecting growing recognition that pragmatic cooperation can benefit working people.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood cautioned that rejoining the EU would require "hard trade-offs" and would not be straightforward, noting the need to weigh trade benefits against other burdens. Several Labour MPs from traditionally pro-Brexit constituencies, such as Pendle MP Jonathan Hinder, have urged the prime minister to rule out a return to free movement, showing that the party is still navigating internal tensions left behind by Brexit.
Labour peer Richard Walker warned that reopening the debate could set a "dangerous precedent" and would not solve youth unemployment. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage attacked Burnham's suggestion, describing it as a reversal of the Brexit mandate and trying to reheat old culture-war arguments.
Polls suggest that the public is increasingly open to rejoining the EU or entering a single-market arrangement that includes free movement, despite the bitter political legacy of the 2016 referendum and years of Brexit disruption.