Andy Burnham has handed Nigel Farage a ready-made election strategy by raising the possibility of returning to the EU's freedom of movement scheme, according to a Daily Express opinion column by political correspondent Aaron Newbury.
The Prime Minister, in a Sunday interview, called for an "honest discussion" about rejoining the scheme. Within 48 hours he had to insist that no such decision would be made without a referendum first, and less than an hour later Downing Street said he was proposing nothing and was "not leaning either way". The column argues that behind the chaotic sequence lies a strategic gift for Reform UK.
Immigration numbers and public mood
The column cites polling showing that nearly seven in ten British voters believe immigration over the last ten years has been too high, while roughly four in ten believe rejoining the EU would push it higher still. It notes these figures were gathered in calmer conditions than a general election, where they are likely to harden.
By using his first conference speech as Labour leader to keep rejoining the EU on the table, Mr Burnham has in effect said he would be ready to fight an election on those terms. Officials already speak of options ranging from rejoining the single market to full membership, either of which would mean accepting free movement.
Farage's natural territory
The column says the development will be welcome at Reform UK headquarters, describing Brexit as Nigel Farage's "native tongue." It argues that disappointment with how Brexit was implemented is not the same as regret for the decision itself, and that voters are unlikely to tolerate the suggestion that the answer to high immigration is a system designed to allow more of it.
It concludes that the next general election will be framed as a simple choice between Britain controlling its own borders and edging back towards the bloc it voted to leave, with the public likely to nudge towards the former.
