Burnham wants 'honest discussion' on EU free movement but rules out euro and Schengen

As of 1:09 p.m. ET, Oct. 25, 2026

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he wants an "honest discussion" about the possibility of the United Kingdom returning to free movement with the European Union, in an interview with The Sunday Times published Sunday.

The remarks came in a series of interviews by Sunday Times political editor Ben Riley-Smith conducted during Burnham's first 100 days in office. Burnham did not commit to restoring free movement. He said he is weighing options for a new relationship with Brussels, which could include full EU membership or joining the single market, which would require free movement, the BBC and the Mirror reported.

What Burnham said

"I think you have to have a very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this," Burnham told the newspaper, as carried by the BBC and the Mirror.

He acknowledged that free movement "had very significant challenges associated with it," but argued that migration before Brexit was different. "But at the same time, it was a type of immigration that perhaps wasn't as difficult (as now)," he said, according to the Mirror. "Revolving door migration where people would come and then go back is different. The balance of migration has changed, hasn't it, since then? I think we've just got to have an honest discussion about those things."

He drew a firm line on two issues. "I can't see myself ever recommending anything that would involve joining the euro or Schengen," he said, according to the BBC and the Mirror.

Manifesto red lines and the Nov. 20 summit

Burnham has previously committed to Labour's 2024 election manifesto, which ruled out a return of free movement, single market membership or a customs union, the BBC reported. He has said any such change would require a mandate at a general election, which is due by 2029.

His comments come ahead of an EU summit in Brussels on Nov. 20, where he is expected to set out options for a reset of relations with the bloc, according to the BBC. The Mirror reported that he has said he will use the period around the summit to lay out options for the future relationship to the British public.

Reaction

Labour's Angela Rayner told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that "you can't take anything off the table," saying the prime minister wants to "be pragmatic to get the best deal for Britain." She said she wanted "an honest conversation about what the trade-offs could be and then put that to the people at a general election."

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the comments "a total betrayal of Brexit Britain," the Mirror and Al Jazeera reported. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Burnham "hasn't thought this through," according to the BBC, and Reform UK economy spokesperson Robert Jenrick told Kuenssberg the idea was "completely mad."

What is not known

Burnham has not said whether he will recommend any change to free movement, and no formal government proposal had been published in the material reviewed for this report. It was not clear which options he will set out around the Nov. 20 summit.