Burnham denies proposing return of free movement in UK-EU talks

In an interview with ITV, Burnham said he wanted an "honest discussion" about how leaving the EU had affected migration, saying shorter-term migration from Europe had been replaced by longer-term settlement in bigger numbers. "I have not proposed freedom of movement coming back," he said.

Burnham said the November EU summit would cement a deal on food and drink and emissions trading, as well as a youth mobility deal, and that discussions would then move to a long-term stable deal with the EU, with all options on the table. He said a draft text had been circulated among the 27 EU members, suggesting a final deal was close. The Guardian reported that UK ministers were prepared to spend as much as £450 million a year on discounted university fees for EU students if Brussels gave the UK access to its Made in Europe industrial program.

Burnham said he believed public opinion had shifted on EU membership but that he would not run ahead of it, and that for this parliament he was committed to Labour's manifesto red lines ruling out a return to the customs union, single market or free movement.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said on Monday she wanted to abide by Labour's manifesto, which ruled out free movement, and told Sky News she would not indulge speculation about it. She said there had been a loss of control over migration after Brexit and that losing access to EU-wide databases had a very significant impact on the ability to manage migration. Asked whether she had been consulted about Burnham's comments, she said she had discussed the issue with him.

Immigration minister Anna Turley told Sky she wanted to prioritize getting more young British people into jobs and an immigration system that was controlled rather than chaotic.