PM's new foot in mouth Brexit blunder: Two weeks after climbdown over Russia and referendum, No10 spokesman has to row back on Burnham's freedom of movement comments

Andy Burnham was accused of 'Brexit hypocrisy' last night as Labour's position on free movement descended into chaos.

The Daily Mail can reveal that Mr Burnham warned previously that the free movement of people across borders should never be revived after it was 'defeated at the ballot box' in 2016.

But yesterday, the Prime Minister doubled down on the idea of returning to open borders with the EU as part of his bid to unpick Brexit.

He suggested a referendum would be needed to revive free movement, saying he would 'never move ahead of the British public when it comes to Brexit'. 

On a shambolic day at Westminster, Downing Street later said the public might not be given a vote on the issue after all – and even claimed that the PM 'isn't proposing a return to free movement'.

The intervention marks the second time this month that No10 has been forced to 'clarify' the PM's remarks on Brexit after he suggested the 2016 referendum result was influenced by the Kremlin.

During TV interviews yesterday, Mr Burnham said he wanted to start an 'honest conversation' about the merits of reviving freedom of movement as part of a new deal with the EU.

'I don't think things have worked out as they said they would at the time, particularly when it comes to immigration,' he said.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been accused of 'Brexit hypocrisy' after doubling down on the idea of returning to open borders with the EU as part of his bid to unpick Brexit

Mr Burnham previously suggested the 2016 referendum result was influenced by the Kremlin (Pictured: Border Force check the passports of passengers arriving at Gatwick Airport) 

He is planning to set out a series of options for a new relationship with Brussels at a UK-EU summit next month. They are expected to include membership of the single market and customs union, as well as fully rejoining the EU.

But in previous remarks unearthed by the Mail, he said respecting the referendum result meant never returning to the EU.

Speaking in December 2016, he said it was 'time to move beyond the re-running of the referendum arguments and accept what people voted for... change on immigration. I am clear about that. The status quo – full free movement – was defeated at the ballot box, so it is not an option.'

Mr Burnham said it was clear that free movement was being used to 'undermine skilled wages' and was 'not working for the more deprived parts of our country'.

'There is nothing socialist about a system of open borders that allows multinationals to treat people as commodities and to move them around Europe to drive down labour costs and create a race to the bottom,' he said.

Nigel Farage said the PM now seemed determined to betray the referendum, despite strong backing for Leave in his own Makerfield constituency. 'This is the kind of hypocrisy and insincerity I have become accustomed to from Andy Burnham,' the Reform UK leader said.

'Quite clearly, he knows the reason why people voted Leave, yet he's still determined to betray that vote.

'If Open Borders Burnham wants an election on open borders and Brexit, I say bring it on.'

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said Mr Burnham now seemed determined to betray the Brexit referendum

Free movement of people is a cornerstone of the EU's single market, and diplomatic sources insist there is no prospect of the PM achieving his dream of rejoining the EU without accepting it.

He floated the idea of reviving free movement at the weekend, saying the pre-Brexit wave of immigration was not 'as difficult' as the one that followed.

He repeated the idea yesterday, saying: 'We're seeing a situation where people are coming here to settle permanently in a way that we had more revolving-door migration in the EU.'

At the weekend, Angela Rayner suggested a new deal with the EU could be wrapped up in Labour's next manifesto, sidestepping a second referendum.

Mr Burnham played down the prospect of an early election yesterday, saying he did not plan to go to the country 'any time soon'.

Asked if free movement could be revived without a referendum, Mr Burnham said: 'No.'

But hours later No10 said the Government was 'not at the stage where we have concrete proposals'. 

Mr Burnham also recently floated the idea of reviving free movement, saying the pre-Brexit wave of immigration was not 'as difficult' as the one that followed

A spokesman for the PM said, 'The Prime Minister isn't proposing a return to freedom of movement or any option,' even though he rolled the pitch for it in an interview with the Sunday Times. 

'He is saying that it's time for us to discuss what kind of long-term relationship with Europe is best for Britain and he is referring to the types of areas that that agreement and long-term future could cover.' The spokesman even suggested Mr Burnham's stated wish to rejoin the EU during his lifetime was a 'personal view' rather than government policy.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'It beggars belief that a man who once said free movement was defeated at the ballot box now wants to bring it back.'

Former foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the PM should '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'.

Remainers welcomed the PM's change of heart on free movement and Brexit. London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said it was time to rejoin a 'reformed' EU. He said the PM was 'right and brave to be having this conversation'.

Stella Creasy, chairman of the Labour Movement for Europe, said: 'The Prime Minister is right – the UK is long overdue for a grown-up conversation about what EU freedom of movement actually means to our supply chains and for jobs.'

But Mr Farage said the PM had 'no mandate whatsoever to agree anything in that summit'.

He added: 'It will not only be a betrayal of the greatest democratic exercise in the history of this country, but also a betrayal of what he promised the focus of Labour would be just a few short months ago.'

QUENTIN LETTS: His policies are as skimpy as his shorts, but after 100 days of watching Andy Burnham up close, this is what I've learned about our Daytime TV Prime Minister

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: After 100 days in Downing Street, what exactly has the PM achieved? 

How the PM changed his tune 

December 7, 2016

'It is time to move beyond the re-running of the referendum arguments and accept what people voted for... change on immigration. It has to be our starting point in this debate. The status quo – full free movement – was defeated at the ballot box, so it is not an option.'

May 18, 2026

'Brexit has been damaging, but the last thing we should do now is re-run those arguments... I respect the decision at the referendum. It is going to undermine everything I said about democracy if we don't respect that vote.'

October 25, 2026

'You have to have a very factual, evidence-based debate about this... it was a type of immigration that perhaps wasn't as difficult [as now]. Revolving-door migration where people would come and then go back is different. The balance of migration has changed.'

October 26, 2026

'Looking back at Brexit... I don't think it has played out as people said it would. We got a harder Brexit than was proposed. I am not going to say that the deal we've got is good enough for Britain. I don't think it is.'

ON FREE MOVEMENT:

October 26, 2026

No10: 'The PM isn't proposing a return to freedom of movement or any option.'

ON A SECOND REFERENDUM:

October 26, 2026

'I will never move ahead of the British public when it comes to Brexit. The British public... will be the bosses here. They will decide what happens in relation to Brexit.'

October 26, 2026

No10: 'We are not making any assumptions about substance or process at this stage.'

ON RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE BREXIT VOTE:

October 11, 2026

'I asked the question coming to Downing Street... was there interference from Russia? I've had the clear answer that yes, there was.'

October 12, 2026

PM's spokesman: 'It is inconceivable they did not seek to use the referendum for their benefit, but we don't believe they succeeded.'