UK Chancellor John Healey has risked undermining Prime Minister Andy Burnham's efforts to foster unity within the Cabinet regarding the UK's future relationship with the European Union. In recent interviews, Healey stated that freedom of movement is "not on the agenda" and unlikely to be reinstated, a stance that appears to contradict Burnham's directive to ministers to avoid taking firm positions on post-Brexit arrangements.
Burnham had previously sent a letter to his Cabinet colleagues urging them not to adopt fixed stances on future ties with the EU. This directive followed Burnham's own remarks, which suggested the UK might consider rejoining the bloc after the next election and potentially restoring open borders. Healey's subsequent comments on GB News, however, directly addressed the issue of free movement, stating, "Freedom of movement is not on the agenda, and certainly for this Parliament it's ruled out."
Despite this seemingly definitive statement, Healey also acknowledged the broader discussion surrounding Brexit. He noted that freedom of movement is "inevitably it's part of a bigger discussion about how we get a better Brexit deal and Britain does better after the ten years of Brexit deal that's failing the country." He emphasized the Prime Minister's desire for this larger conversation and highlighted his own immediate focus on upcoming European summits to negotiate better terms and reduce costs for businesses. Healey stated that improving trade and lowering consumer costs would be beneficial.
When pressed on whether he would favor rejoining the EU with freedom of movement if it aided the economy, Healey reiterated, "No, I'm in favour of accepting that we've got a Brexit decision. And I'm in favour of the job we need to do now, which is to make the best of the terms we've got." He affirmed his role as Chancellor is to reinforce the economy and support businesses.
Burnham's earlier letter to the Cabinet indicated that any "fundamental change" to post-Brexit arrangements would require a public decision and be reserved for the next Parliament. The Prime Minister's call for an "honest discussion" about potentially returning to freedom of movement had already raised questions about the scope of his vision for a closer relationship with Brussels. Confusion was further fueled when Burnham, speaking to ITV, suggested that any shift away from Labour's current red lines—which exclude rejoining the customs union and single market—would not occur within the current parliamentary term and could be a platform for the next general election.
In his letter, Burnham expressed his conviction that the Conservative government's Brexit deal was insufficient, leading to a decade of low growth, increased red tape for businesses, and diminished control over immigration. He characterized it as a "harder Brexit than was promised at the EU referendum." He reminded ministers of the "agreed mandate" for the upcoming summit, emphasizing the principle of Cabinet collective responsibility and cautioning against individual ministers publicly advocating for specific outcomes. Burnham stated that post-summit policy would involve exploring long-term relationship options with the EU for consideration in the next Parliament, after which the merits and drawbacks of various options would be presented to the public. He concluded by stressing the importance of aligned and disciplined government messaging during this period, deeming it inappropriate for ministers to individually champion specific options or speculate on outcomes.