Andy Burnham urges "very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this" on EU relationship

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has opened a debate about Britain’s future EU relationship ahead of a Nov. 20 Brussels summit with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to the reports. Burnham said the UK had lost control of immigration and wanted closer cooperation, including on sending people back, while Downing Street said he was not committing to restoring an EU-wide right to move to Britain. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said his remarks did not amount to government policy. Reform UK home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf criticized the approach, saying Labour wanted to let 750,000 migrants from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Eritrea who he said had gained EU citizenship move to Britain legally. Burnham said the issue deserved scrutiny and acknowledged that EU free movement had serious problems.