By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said he has not proposed a return to EU freedom of movement and insisted voters "need to be the boss" on any Brexit rethink. In an ITV interview for a documentary broadcast Tuesday, Burnham called for an honest discussion about how immigration patterns have shifted since the Brexit vote, noting that short-term European migration has been replaced by long-term settlement in larger numbers.
Burnham clarifies position on single market
Burnham stated he would not run ahead of public opinion but implied there would be a strong case for fighting the next election on a pledge to take the UK back into the single market, which would require accepting freedom of movement rules. He also said he would like the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime.
Home Secretary tightens settlement rules
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced changes to indefinite leave to remain rules that will prevent roughly half a million people who would have settled after five years from doing so. The plans represent a significant tightening but are notably less strict than the version she announced last November, prompting descriptions of a U-turn.
Mahmood concedes potential billions in cost
Mahmood appeared to accept her U-turn could cost billions, with the BBC's Iain Watson suggesting concessions would cost about £7.5 billion. She insisted her plans would still lead to significant savings compared with doing nothing but would not dispute that savings would have been higher under the 2025 plans. An impact assessment will be published in due course.
Mahmood refuses to deny Burnham influence
Mahmood refused to deny she was ordered to change her plans by Burnham. On Sky News she declined to say what she felt about the UK rejoining the freedom of movement system, and on the Today programme she implied she had little warning about Burnham's decision to open the debate in his Labour conference speech.
Labour bound by manifesto on single market
Mahmood stressed Labour was "absolutely bound by the terms of our manifesto," which rules out single market membership before the next election. She gave the impression she is not fully aligned with Burnham's pro-EU aspirations, alongside Defence Secretary John Healey and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.
Today's political agenda
Kemi Badenoch will give a defence speech in London at 10am. Chancellor John Healey takes questions in the Commons at 11.30am, followed by a Downing Street lobby briefing at noon. MPs resume budget debate after 12.30pm. At 2pm UK time, Burnham and King Charles attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting opening ceremony in Antigua.
