Andy Burnham is preparing a significant offer on wider migration from the EU to get a future Brexit deal over the line, insiders believe, in a move likely to stoke further tensions on the heart of government.
Any move that would increase migration is likely to see resistance from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood who has already been forced to partially climbdown over hardline reforms.
Meanwhile Burnham is said to have been “irritated” by Chancellor John Healey who publicly contradicted him over whether the UK should fully rejoin the EU or not.
Burnham is understood to have been persuaded that freedom of movement may be the most significant bargaining chip capable of securing meaningful concessions from Brussels, and that it is better to have the difficult conversation now rather than avoid it.
The Prime Minister has made no secret of his hope that Britain might rejoin the bloc in his lifetime and has reiterated this since becoming Prime Minister.
There is no suggestion he has settled on a policy position or an offer. But Michael Barnier – who led withdrawal negotiations for the EU after the Brexit vote – said on Thursday that while the door was open for the UK to rejoin the European Union, freedom of movement “is not negotiable”.
In the interview with Sky News he caveated that this was a personal view. However, freedom of movement is a key plank of membership of the single market and it is unlikely the UK could go as far as Burnham indicates he would like to without a concession.
Freedom of movement could prove difficult for the Home Secretary
That calculation, however, brings freedom of movement into direct conflict with Labour’s domestic immigration agenda. It could prove difficult for the Home Secretary given her tough stance on immigration.
Mahmood has already faced a backlash over her plans to extend the wait for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), the right to settle permanently in the UK. She softened the proposals after opposition from Labour MPs and unions, retaining a five-year route for some care workers while extending the wait to 10 years for many lower-paid migrants.
However, those familiar with the discussions claim Mahmood is less of a stumbling block than some fear. One source suggested Burnham had himself set the “mood music” for a climbdown, while Mahmood had quickly read the room and recognised the strength of opposition within Cabinet, including from Angela Rayner.
Despite the public divisions, the position eventually reached was more consensual than the earlier exchanges might have suggested.
On freedom of movement, a senior Whitehall source said the challenge for any Home Secretary would be the strength of public opposition, particularly given the government’s commitment to reducing net migration.
Another senior Whitehall source said any move towards freedom of movement would inevitably increase migration unless the government reduced it through another route.
It would also force ministers into difficult domestic arguments about prioritising migration from Europe over migration from elsewhere.
Healey comments ‘irritated’ No 10
Burnham’s next big test will be the UK–EU summit later this month, when attention will turn to whether he can translate his warmer rhetoric towards Brussels into concrete progress on food trade, youth mobility and defence.
The contentious issue of university tuition fees remains unresolved, while any concessions to the EU will need to be balanced against domestic political and financial pressures.
After the summit, Burnham is expected to want to open a wider conversation about Britain’s future relationship with Europe, including the question of freedom of movement.
Without a more substantial offer from the UK, any broader reset could take many years to achieve.
Last week Burnham said he would like to see the UK rejoin the EU in his lifetime, but insisted he would “not move ahead of the public” on the issue .
But, in a later interview with Channel 4 News Healey was asked whether he expected Britain to return to the bloc in his lifetime. “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that,” he replied, adding that his priority was to make the most of Britain’s position outside the EU.
Healey is 66, ten years older than the Prime Minister.
Senior Whitehall sources suggested Healey’s comments had irritated No 10, amid concerns that public differences between ministers risk presenting a divided Government ahead of the UK–EU summit in Brussels on 20 November.
“It is seen as unhelpful for the Cabinet to be seen as divided ahead of what are expected to be quite complex discussions,” said one source. Another added: “He needs reining in.”
“Few Labour MPs who want a long-term future in the Labour Party are likely to want to commit hari-kari over (closer ties with the EU) and I would put Shabana Mahmood and Healey into this category,” a senior Whitehall source said, however.
One source suggested that if the political momentum continued in the Prime Minister’s favour, ministers would ultimately row in behind him.
Public support growing for EU ties
Private polling, reportedly showing growing support for closer EU ties even in traditionally Leave-voting constituencies, is expected to strengthen Burnham’s hand.
Senior Labour figures who served in Sir Keir Starmer’s government have begun to come out in favour of Britain rejoining the EU.
One senior Labour insider suggested it was only a matter of time before Starmer himself made a significant intervention on the issue.
Starmer was Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary when Britain left the EU and argued in favour of a second referendum, believing voters should have the final say on the terms of the UK’s departure.
After the 2019 election, however, he accepted that Labour needed to respect the referendum result and move on from the question of whether to leave the EU.
Rachel Reeves is the latest senior figure from Starner’s government to throw her weight behind Burnham’s reopening of the Brexit debate, declaring that she believes Britain’s future lies in the EU.
In an article for The Sunday Times last weekend, the former Chancellor said Brexit had made the UK “poorer, weaker and less secure”, adding that she welcomed the Prime Minister’s leadership in confronting the question of Britain’s long-term relationship with Europe.
However, Reeves stopped short of calling for an immediate return to membership, arguing that supporters of rejoining must make a convincing case, demonstrate tangible benefits and get the next steps right.
She also identified two priorities for the UK–EU summit on 20 November: progress towards a proposed youth mobility scheme and closer cooperation through the EU’s SAFE defence partnership, which could open up opportunities for British defence companies.
Also in the background is the towering figure of Gordon Brown, officially the Prime Minister’s Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Co-operation, who helped lead the Remain campaign in the Brexit referendum.
The view from France
Much of the debate about Britain’s future relationship with Europe is likely to be shaped by the political climate in France, where Marine Le Pen is seeking to capitalise on strong polling ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
A National Rally victory would raise questions about the future direction of the EU and add another complication to any renewed push for closer UK–EU ties.
A source familiar with British foreign policy thinking suggested Le Pen would seek to present herself as a more conventional international leader while pursuing her aim of reducing France’s contribution to the EU budget.
A rough estimate suggests the UK’s return to the bloc could reduce France’s relative share of the bill by around 25 per cent, although much would depend on the terms of any re-entry deal. It could also leave Britain facing the prospect of negotiating alongside a French president from the National Rally.
Another source suggested Le Pen might be open to a similar arrangement with Burnham to the migration pact agreed between Jordan Bardella and Nigel Farage. The pact reportedly envisages cooperation on returning migrants who cross the Channel in small boats. Whether Le Pen would be prepared to offer similar terms to a Labour government remains unclear.
Ultimately, Burnham’s European ambitions will depend not just on how far he is prepared to go, but on whether he can bring his own party, his Cabinet and a sceptical public with him.
No 10 has been contacted for comment.
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