Andy Burnham has been accused of betraying British workers and young job seekers by suggesting a potential revival of free movement with the European Union. The Prime Minister indicated a readiness to set aside Labour's current Brexit 'red lines' to pursue a closer relationship with Brussels. This stance has drawn significant criticism, with warnings that it could negatively impact employment opportunities for young Britons.
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform party, labeled Burnham's position a "complete betrayal" of the 2016 referendum result. Farage stated that reintroducing freedom of movement would "undercut working people's wages with cheap foreign labour" and goes against the will of the British people.
Kemi Badenoch, also critical of the move, described it as an instance of "Burnham's foot-in-mouth syndrome," suggesting a lack of foresight regarding the implications. While acknowledging past government missteps on immigration, Badenoch asserted that the solution lies in learning from those errors, not in reopening free movement.
Angela Rayner, a Labour figure, suggested that the party might consider rejoining the EU's single market without a referendum, framing such a discussion as part of a broader effort to "bring the country together." However, Burnham himself acknowledged that free movement presents "significant challenges," though he differentiated the pre-Brexit immigration wave from subsequent ones.
Diplomatic sources have indicated that accepting free movement would be a prerequisite for rejoining the single market or for full EU membership. Former Conservative Chancellor Sir Jeremy Hunt expressed concern that allowing increased immigration could be a "hammer blow" to efforts aimed at getting a million young people, who are currently not in employment, education, or training, into work. Richard Walker, former head of Iceland supermarkets, echoed these concerns, cautioning against "reopening those old wounds" and questioning the effect of opening labor markets to all of Europe.