Rayner claims 'honest conversation' about returning to EU free movement will 'bring the country together' - but Labour accused of 'betrayal' and 'hammer blow' to jobless Brits

Angela Rayner today defended the Prime Minister's call for an 'honest conversation' about returning to EU free movement rules as Labour faced accusations of 'betrayal'. The Housing Secretary insisted Andy Burnham was not trying to re-run the arguments of the 2016 referendum despite wanting a new relationship with the EU. She also claimed it was part of the PM's efforts at 'tackling the big issues' and 'bringing the country together'. Mr Burnham said in a newspaper interview he wants an 'honest discussion' about the possibility of returning to free movement between the UK and EU.

If Britain did return to EU free movement rules, it would see citizens from all 28 of the bloc's member states given the right to come to the UK. Both the Tories and Reform UK have reacted with fury at the PM's suggestion he could revive uncontrolled EU immigration. Reform leader Nigel Farage said it was a 'total betrayal' of both Brexit and Mr Burnham's promises during his Makerfield by-election campaign. Jeremy Hunt, the former Tory Chancellor, claimed a return to EU free movement would be a 'hammer blow' to Labour's efforts to tackle youth unemployment and reduce the ballooning welfare bill.

Angela Rayner today defended the Prime Minister's call for an 'honest conversation' about returning to EU free movement rules as Labour faced accusations of 'betrayal' The Housing Secretary insisted Andy Burnham was not trying to re-run the arguments of the 2016 referendum despite wanting a new relationship with the EU Mr Burnham has outlined his intent to consider various options for Britain's long-term relationship with the EU and insisted the 'status quo is not good enough'.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Burnham made clear that staying outside of free movement rules would not be a red line for talks with Brussels. 'I think you have to have a very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this,' he told the newspaper. The PM also suggested the type of legal migration experienced during the UK's years of EU membership was different from the challenges faced now. 'It was generally younger people, not always, but spending a few years, then going back,' he said. 'And obviously the ease of that worked for British people as well.'

Appearing on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Ms Rayner was quizzed about Mr Burnham's comments ahead of the Makerfield campaign in which he warned 'the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments' about Brexit. Ahead of an upcoming UK-EU summit on 20 November, Ms Rayner said the PM 'is very clear as we go into that summit, we should be having an honest conversation about how Britain can get the best deal going forward for the next decade'. 'We're saying, as we go forward into the future, we have a summit coming up, we have a 10-year plan that we're writing,' the Cabinet minister added. 'It's 10 years on since we left the European Union.

We can't go backwards. 'That's not a possibility for us. We have to go forwards, and therefore you have to look at what that future relationship will look like.' She continued: 'I want to see the best deal for the people of my constituency and for Britain. 'We haven't got the best deal at the moment because we've seen exports reduced by 20 per cent, we've seen the red tape and the friction that has meant that a lot of our businesses are not able to trade in the way that they would like with our biggest trading partners. 'So, I would like us to have an honest conversation about what the trade-offs could be and then put that to the people at a general election.'

Ms Rayner repeatedly declined to say whether she wanted the country to return to EU free movement rules herself. But she defended the PM's stance as part of his efforts at 'bringing the country together'. 'The PM is clear he wants to have the conversation, he's tackling the big issues - like the national care service he wants to introduce, he's talked about the changes to the triple lock,' she said. 'This is part of a wider programme... bringing the country together, thinking about where the country goes into the future, not the old arguments of the past.'

Sir Jeremy, who was Chancellor in the previous Tory government, told the same programme he was 'absolutely astonished' by the PM's remarks. 'We have a million people not in employment, education or training - young people - and the Government says it's serious about getting them back into work,' he added. 'To suddenly say you are prepared to negotiate allowing people from all over Europe to come and take those jobs, I think it will be a hammer blow to those plans to get people off welfare and into work.'

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'This is yet another example of Burnham’s foot in mouth syndrome. He hasn’t thought this through or the implications. 'Most people who voted for Brexit did so because they didn’t want free movement. 'Too many politicians have failed to understand the significance and impact of immigration on communities. 'We have had more than enough experience of what happens when politicians (including previous Conservative governments) promise control but fail to deliver it. 'The answer is to learn from those mistakes, not reopen free movement.'

Mr Farage said: 'This is a total betrayal of Brexit Britain and Burnham's Makerfield pitch. 'He is also deluded to say immigration was different when we were members of the EU. We will fight this dishonesty.'