Andy Burnham has blamed Britain’s migrant crisis on Brexit, arguing that leaving the EU had left the UK with “weaker control”.
The prime minister said on Monday that he wants to see Britain rejoin the European Union in his lifetime, after he reopened the Brexit debate earlier this year.
Mr Burnham ruled out a return for the UK to EU freedom of movement rules without a referendum, after he signalled he could include the move in Labour’s next election manifesto.
But the prime minister said he did not think “things have worked out as people said they would at the time”, highlighting immigration and the small boats crisis.
“I don’t think things have worked out as people said they would at the time, particularly when it comes to immigration,” Mr Burnham said.
“I think we’ve got weaker control now. The reason the small boats crisis has arisen is because we can’t return people, and people know we can’t do that in the same way that we used to be able to do.”
More than 200,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since data began on 1 January 2018.
The record for the largest number of migrants to arrive in the UK in a calendar year is 45,774, which was set in 2022.
The number rapidly increased over the Covid-19 pandemic, but in the first six months of 2026, the number of people arriving in the UK by small boat fell 41 per cent and the number of boats 47 per cent compared to the previous year.
The prime minister admitted on Saturday he is open to reintroducing freedom of movement in an intervention that has boosted hopes that the UK could look to rejoin the bloc after the next general election.
It comes amid reports the UK is holding talks with the EU about its options for closer alignment, including potential return to free movement.
The Times reports discussions are underway to decide viable options with Brussels before Mr Burnham opens a “conversation with the British public about our long-term future”.
Just weeks ago Mr Burnham said the UK could go “all the way” and rejoin the bloc, but insisted the British public will “be the boss” of its own future.
But he added on Monday: “I’m not proposing any changes in this parliament. I’m not going to move away from the red lines that were in the Labour manifesto.”
Mr Burnham insisted a general election would not be called “any time soon” amid speculation he could go to the country early to secure a mandate of his own and put proposals to rejoin to voters following a bounce in Labour’s poll ratings.
Asked whether he would allow the UK to join the EU freedom of movement scheme without a referendum, he said: “No, I mean I wasn’t saying that yesterday. I was asked about how things have changed in the 10 years since Brexit, and the truth of the matter is we’ve lost immigration control in the way that we once had.”
But Downing Street later appeared to row back on his remarks, instead saying that the government is not yet “setting out process” when asked whether there would need to be a referendum.
And asked whether he would like to see the UK rejoin the EU, he said: “In my lifetime I would like to see that happen, but I am not going to move ahead of the public; I am not going to dictate.”
The Independent has led the campaign for Britain to rebuild its relationship with Brussels on the basis of clear evidence that it has damaged the economy and failed to deliver promised benefits on a wide range of issues including immigration.
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