Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has supported Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s call for an open debate about Britain’s future relationship with the European Union, including the possibility of revisiting freedom of movement after a future general election.
Speaking on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on 25 October, Rayner said the Government should examine the trade-offs of closer ties with the EU. She did not commit Labour to restoring free movement and stressed that the party’s existing manifesto commitments remain in force.
What Rayner said
Rayner said the Prime Minister was not proposing a return to the arrangements of 2016, but wanted a pragmatic discussion about securing a better deal for Britain. She argued that trade barriers and reduced exports had damaged businesses, while saying any new direction should be put before voters at a general election.
Burnham’s position
Burnham told the Sunday Times that the UK should hold a factual, evidence-based debate on the costs and benefits of freedom of movement. He acknowledged challenges associated with pre-Brexit migration while arguing that reciprocal opportunities for British citizens should also be considered.
The Prime Minister is due to meet European Union leaders in Brussels on 20 November. He has said he does not envisage recommending that Britain adopt the euro or join the Schengen border-free area.
Manifesto commitments and political disagreement
Labour’s 2024 manifesto ruled out a return to EU freedom of movement, the single market and the customs union. Burnham and Rayner have not announced a change to those commitments during the current Parliament. Any proposal for a fundamentally different settlement would require further political decisions and, according to Rayner, a mandate at a future election.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticised Burnham’s comments, warning against a return to free movement. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper welcomed discussion of reducing trade barriers and restoring reciprocal rights.
What happens next
The immediate development is a public debate within and beyond Labour about future UK–EU policy, rather than an agreed plan to restore free movement. The November summit may clarify the Government’s negotiating priorities, but no new freedom-of-movement agreement has been announced.
Sources: ITV News / PA Media, 25 October 2026; Reuters, 25 October 2026; Sky News, 25 October 2026.