UK PM Burnham says he wants to discuss a return to EU freedom of movement
Burnham says Britain should have an 'honest discussion' about how immigration to the UK has changed since Brexit.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he wants to discuss Britain returning to the European Union’s freedom of movement rules for workers, a key issue in the 2016 Brexit referendum which led to the United Kingdom leaving the bloc.
Addressing the need to rethink ties with Brussels, Burnham told The Sunday Times newspaper that the influx of EU workers into Britain before Brexit had posed significant challenges.
“But, at the same time, it was a type of immigration that perhaps wasn’t as difficult [as now],” he said in a report released on Sunday.
Long-term net migration to the UK nearly halved in 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), falling to 171,000 in 2025 from 331,000 a year earlier. This drop had not been seen since before the post-Brexit immigration system was introduced, as tougher government measures have restricted arrivals.