Burnham Faces 'Brexit Hypocrisy' Accusations Over Free Movement Stance

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been accused of "Brexit hypocrisy" after suggesting that the free movement of people across borders could be revived as part of a new relationship with the European Union. The comments, made in recent interviews, have led to confusion and compelled Downing Street to issue clarifications.

Burnham previously stated in December 2016 that the free movement of people was "defeated at the ballot box" in the 2016 referendum and should not be an option. He argued at the time that the "status quo – full free movement – was defeated at the ballot box, so it is not an option." He also contended that free movement was being used to "undermine skilled wages" and was "not working for the more deprived parts of our country."

More recently, Burnham has called for an "honest conversation" about the merits of reviving freedom of movement, suggesting that the pre-Brexit wave of immigration was "not as difficult" as the current situation. He indicated that a referendum would be necessary to revive free movement, stating he would "never move ahead of the British public when it comes to Brexit."

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However, Downing Street later clarified that the Prime Minister "isn't proposing a return to freedom of movement or any option." A spokesman stated that the PM was "not making any assumptions about substance or process at this stage" and was referring to "types of areas that that agreement and long-term future could cover."

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This intervention marks the second instance in two weeks that Downing Street has had to clarify the Prime Minister's remarks on Brexit. Previously, he had suggested the 2016 referendum result was influenced by the Kremlin, a claim that was later softened by a Downing Street spokesman.

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Critics have voiced strong opposition to Burnham's evolving stance. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, accused Burnham of "betraying" the referendum vote. "This is the kind of hypocrisy and insincerity I have become accustomed to from Andy Burnham," Farage stated. "Quite clearly, he knows the reason why people voted Leave, yet he's still determined to betray that vote."

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Former Foreign Secretary Priti Patel urged the Prime Minister to "stop treating the public like fools and focus on securing Britain's future outside the EU rather than making us an EU rule-taker again."

Conversely, some Remain supporters have welcomed the discussion. London Mayor Sadiq Khan suggested it was time to rejoin a "reformed" EU, calling Burnham "right and brave to be having this conversation." Stella Creasy, chairwoman of the Labour Movement for Europe, also commented that the UK was "long overdue for a grown-up conversation about what EU freedom of movement actually means to our supply chains and for jobs."

Burnham is reportedly planning to present options for a new UK-EU relationship at an upcoming summit, which may include membership of the single market and customs union, or even full EU rejoining. However, diplomatic sources indicate that rejoining the EU would likely require accepting free movement as a cornerstone of the single market.