Burnham Rejects Free Movement Hype as Labour Sticks to Its Promises
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UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he never proposed restoring free movement and insisted that the public must decide the UK’s future relationship with the EU, while Labour leaders repeated their commitment to the party’s manifesto and a more controlled migration system.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told ITV that he has not proposed bringing back free movement, pushing back against the usual panic and insisting on a serious discussion about how migration patterns have shifted since the Brexit vote. He said the short-term arrival of temporary migrants from Europe has given way to longer-term settlement by migrants from other regions, a change he described as the "Boriswave."
Burnham added that the public must shape the direction of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, saying, "The public need to be the boss when it comes to whatever happens with Brexit."
Labour Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood repeated the party’s manifesto position, which rules out a return to free movement, the customs union or the single market. She told Sky News, "What I am keen on is abiding by our manifesto," and warned that the loss of access to EU migration databases has seriously weakened the UK’s ability to manage migration properly.
Immigration Minister Anna Turley said her priority is to improve the immigration system, increase employment for young Britons and curb illegal migration, stressing the need for a controlled and orderly approach rather than chaos or empty slogans.
The government expects the EU summit in November to finalize agreements on food and drink, emissions trading and a youth mobility scheme, after which broader discussions on a long-term UK-EU deal will continue.