Andy Burnham ‘not leaning either way’ on UK's future ties with EU

British prime minister had called for 'honest discussion' about return to freedom of movement

Andy Burnham said he will 'never move ahead of the British public when it comes to Brexit'. Picture: Carlos Jasso/PA

Andy Burnham is “not leaning either way” on the UK’s future relationship with the European Union, No 10 said amid questions about his stance.

The British prime minister’s call at the weekend for an “honest discussion” about a return to freedom of movement has fuelled questions about the parameters around his vision for a deepening relationship with Brussels.

No 10 denied it was backtracking after Mr Burnham earlier left the door open to a potential referendum on freedom of movement.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said we are “not at that stage yet” when asked whether the public would decide on proposals to get closer to the EU through a referendum or by voting on an updated Labour manifesto.

That came after Mr Burnham spoke about the EU in a series of interviews on Monday morning.

In one, he 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.

In another, he said “no” when asked whether he would allow the UK to reinstate EU freedom of movement without a referendum.

He insisted he will “never move ahead of the British public when it comes to Brexit”.

A No 10 spokeswoman was asked whether he would use a referendum or an election manifesto to put proposals to return to the arrangement, which he has said he wants an “honest discussion” about the prospect of, to the public.

She replied: “So, the prime minister isn’t proposing a return to freedom of movement, or any option.

“He is saying that it’s time for us to discuss what kind of long-term relationship with Europe is best for Britain and he is referring to the types of areas that that agreement and long-term future could cover.

“He is crucially not leaning either way, and that will be for the British public to decide. And his focus for now is on next month’s summit and the practical arrangements that we hope to make there, which will add billions to the economy.”

The prime minister is “not pre-empting any of that process”, she said.

Mr Burnham earlier told ITV’s Good Morning Britain of his EU plans: “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.

“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.

Then speaking to reporters during a visit to a homelessness charity, he was asked whether there could be a return to freedom of movement without a referendum, and 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.”

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.