Burnham sparks Brexit row over return to EU free movement

Andy Burnham has been accused of betraying Brexit Britain and threatening to hand control of the country’s borders back to Brussels after suggesting the UK could restore freedom of movement with the European Union. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage branded the remarks a betrayal of voters, while the Conservatives vowed to oppose any attempt to reverse one of the central outcomes of the 2016 referendum. The backlash follows an interview with The Sunday Times in which Burnham called for an honest discussion about restoring free movement, arguing that immigration patterns had changed since Britain left the EU. Freedom of movement had very significant challenges associated with it and I spoke about them in my previous time in parliament , Burnham said. But, at the same time, it was a type of immigration that perhaps wasn’t as difficult [as now] . He argued that EU migration had often been temporary, with workers spending several years in Britain before returning home, wher