Andy Burnham is preparing a significant offer on wider migration from the EU to get a future Brexit deal over the line, insiders believe, in a move likely to stoke further tensions on the heart of government.
Any move that would increase migration is likely to see resistance from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who has already been forced into a partial climb-down over hardline reforms.
Meanwhile Burnham is said to have been “irritated” by Chancellor John Healey, who publicly contradicted him over whether the UK should fully rejoin the EU.
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us news
The left-wing firebrands about to make trouble for Trump (and the Democrats)
Democrat Darializa Avila Chevalier, elected to the US House of Representatives from New York, says people want more than just ‘word salad’ from her party (Photo: Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)
At a bar in New York City’s Harlem neighbourhood on Tuesday night, Democrats celebrated what some called not just a victory, but a revolution.
Democratic Socialists of America
A growing force
The new wave of victorious Democratic lawmakers are abler and more combative than the preceding generation (Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty)
The DSA was founded more than four decades ago and opposes both the Republican Party and moderate Democrats.
On Tuesday, several members celebrated victory, including the LA mayor elect and another eight elected into Congress.
4 min read
Why is the DSA becoming popular?
The election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City in 2025 brought more attention to the DSA. Now, it claims to have more than 120,000 members.
Many of the candidates share views on the war in Gaza, healthcare and immigration.
Caption: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (C) holds hands with US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) (L) and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at the end of a campaign rally at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City on October 26, 2025. New Yorkers will cast their votes for mayor on November 4, 2025. Mamdani, the Democratic candidate, is the current frontrunner ahead of former New York Governor and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: ANGELA WEISS
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Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Caption: Darializa Avila Chevalier, New York Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives attends a watch party at Harlem Tavern, New York, US, November 3, 2026. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs
Photographer: Caitlin Ochs
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
New ‘mainstream’ politics
The Democratic Party must undergo fundamental and immediate reform. With a return to power, it can no longer continue to ignore the major economic and political crises facing the majority of our people or that return to power will be shortlived.
Bernie sanders, us senator for vermont
Bernie Sanders received a protest vote in 2016 (Photo: Nicole Hester/Ann Arbor News via AP)
‘Radical change’
DSA politicians to look out for
- Darializa Avila Chevalier: Elected into New York’s 13th congressional district. She is also the first Afro-Latina woman to represent the region.
- Melat Kiros: Elected into Colorado’s 1st congressional district.
- Brad Lander: Elected into New York’s 10th congressional district.
- Claire Valdez: Elected into New York’s 7th congressional district.
- Chris Rabb: Elected into Pennsylvania’s 3rd congressional district.
Will Trump be impeached?
Many on the Democratic Party’s left want to aggressively go after Trump and it will be a hot topic when the Democratic caucus convenes next week.
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic senator-elect from Michigan, was endorsed by veteran progressive left-winger Senator Bernie Sanders (Photo: Rebecca Cook/Reuters)
Caption: US President Donald Trump speaks at the construction site of the East Wing ballroom at the White House in Washington, DC, on November 4, 2026. Democrats seized control of the US Congress on November 3, capturing the Senate and House of Representatives. The Democratic landslide will give the opposition power to block legislation, launch broad investigations into Trump’s administration and thwart his judicial and senior government appointments. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: MANDEL NGAN
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Source: AFP
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From January, the Democrats will have a majority in the House to impeach, but not the two-thirds strength in the Senate needed for conviction and removal from office. However, Republicans may waver if the process gains momentum.
Caption: Close-up of a woman’s hand taking a slice of delicious pizza with stretching cheese in a pizzeria restaurant
Photographer: ArtMarie
Provider: Getty Images
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Copyright: MARIA PAVLOVA
NEWS
Italian chef sacked after refusing to put pineapple on pizza
Davide Tamburella was fired from the now-closed restaurant La Costa in Queensland, Australia, in May as he believed pineapple topping was an “insult to his culture”.
This occurred a fortnight after a meeting with his management, who voiced a string of complaints about the chef’s behaviour, reports claim.
What you need to know
La Costa stood as an Italian hub in the heart of Brisbane before it closed.
On Tuesday, a Fair Work Commission ruling heard that Tamburella was sacked on 20 May after he was called upon to “address performance concerns”.
One of the chief concerns was his refusal to put pineapple on pizza.
My husband does all the cooking in our house, and I do all the tidying up afterwards (Photo: FreshSplash/ Getty)
4 min read
‘Pick your battles’
The Italian was more than three years into a 186 visa process – an employer sponsored pathway to permanent residency in Australia.
However, his application had not been approved before he was sacked, and he now must start the process again.
As a former waiter, therefore, it irked me. But as a current diner it irked me too (Photo: Getty Images/Maskot)
Turquoise Bay in Cape Range National Park, close to the tour’s end in Exmouth (Photo: John Crux/Getty/iStockphoto)
Elliot Ingram, his boss, admitted that while pineapple on pizza was neither his own preference, 17 years in hospitality has taught him to “pick your battles”.
Empty restaurant and cafes in Athens, Greece, amid a heatwave spreading across southern Europe (Photo: Dimitris Lampropoulos/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A frustrated boss
Do I go and buy a ham and pineapple pizza? It’s not my favourite but I’m not going to turn my nose up at it – that’s for sure.
The commission heard that Tamburella acknowledged this was the third time he refused Ingram’s direction. He had requested his boss to “check how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on pizza”.
La Costa closed in July when its lease expired, with Ingram citing the high costs of running a business as a contributor.
How worried should you be about Ebola in the UK?
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Members of the Civil Protection team, which works to help mitigate the spread of the Ebola virus, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfect after handling the body of an unidentified man, who according to his family, died of Ebola, in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, July 10, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo
Photographer: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
A British man is being flown back to the UK for treatment after testing positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The patient, who is thought to be a healthcare worker, is expected to be brought back later on Thursday.
1 min read
First confirmed case of a UK national
There have only ever been four confirmed cases of the virus in the UK.
The first was in 1976, resulting from a laboratory incident. The latter three involved health workers responding to an outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2015.
Caption: MONGBWALU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – MAY 20: Workers don protective equipment at the General Referral Hospital of Mongbwalu during the Ebola outbreak response in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 20, 2026. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern,” as the death toll and number of confirmed cases continue to rise. The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several Orthoebolaviruses that can cause Ebola disease, and for which there are no approved vaccines. The highest number of cases have been reported in Congo’s eastern Ituri province, bordering Uganda. Global health officials have expressed grave concern over the capacity to contain the outbreak in a region already facing a humanitarian crisis, with highly mobile populations displaced by conflict and economic factors. (Photo by Michel Lunanga/Getty Images)
Photographer: Michel Lunanga
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Caption: Esther Lutula, a 26 year-old woman who is four months pregnant and a mother of four, who stopped going for prenatal checkups shortly after the current Ebola outbreak, caresses her child outside her house in Bunia, northeastern, Congo, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
Photographer: Moses Sawasawa
Provider: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa
Source: AP
The current outbreak centred in the DRC is fueled by the Bundibugyo variant of the virus.
A closer look at the detail
25-90%
Ebola has a high fatality rate, with past outbreaks causing death in 25-90 per cent of infected people.
People with the disease tend to fall ill two to 21 days after contact with an orthoebolavirus.
- Early symptoms include fever, aches, pains, and fatigue, but they can then progress to diarrhoea, vomiting and unexplained bleeding.
What this means for the UK
The UK has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this, and those processes have been activated. Further information will be shared in due course. The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low
Government official
Doctors’ Association UK is anticipating a rise in racist attacks “in accordance with what is happening nationally”. (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Channel 4 axes Married At First Sight UK after review following misconduct claims
Channel 4 has cancelled Married At First Sight UK following an external review triggered by “serious allegations of wrongdoing”.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: A view of branding at the “Married At First Sight” photocall at Vue Leicester Square on September 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Ackerman/Getty Images)
Photographer: Simon Ackerman
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
What led to this?
Earlier this year, two women who participated in the show made allegations of rape and a third of sexual misconduct by their on-screen husbands, speaking in a BBC Panorama documentary which aired in May.
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 20: A general view of the Channel 4 headquarters in Westminster on May 20, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. MPs have written to Channel 4 and Ofcom following a BBC Panorama programme that reported on allegations made by by two women who alleged that they had been raped and another made claims of sexual misconduct on the broadcasters ‘Married at First Sight’ series. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Photographer: Dan Kitwood
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
- In June, a Mafs UK cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape. All three men deny the claims.
- Channel 4 has now confirmed the series will not be returning.
What will happen to season six?
Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra confirmed season six of the show, filmed this year, will not be broadcast.
Second Married at First Sight, a spin-off set to bring contestants from the UK and Australian versions of the show for a second chance at love, was in pre-production with CPL before being paused during the review. It will not resume.
A reader is concerned that he will have to work longer than expected as he is getting a divorce (Photo: Rubberball/Mike Kemp/Getty)
Big Read
3 min read
What the production company said:
“CPL has always put contributor welfare at the heart of its programme making and will continue to do so,” CPL said.
“CPL have worked closely with Channel 4 for many years and throughout the review process, and we look forward to working with them again in the future.”
2 min read
Analysis
4 min read
football
Cristiano Ronaldo retires from international football
Caption: FILE – Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo waves following the World Cup Group K soccer match between Colombia and Portugal in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, file)
Photographer: Rebecca Blackwell
Provider: AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football.
Here is everything we know so far about his decision.
What did he say?
The day has come back for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team…It was not an easy decision. Because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart. A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo has confirmed this will be his last Euros (Photo: Getty)
The background
- The 41-year-old has made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 goals.
- He holds the all-time record for international appearances and for international goals.
Caption: DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 24: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates after scoring their team’s first goal via a penalty during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H match between Portugal and Ghana at Stadium 974 on November 24, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Sarah Stier – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Photographer: Sarah Stier – FIFA
Provider: FIFA via Getty Images
Source: FIFA
“When I look back at everything with the national team, I don’t just see the matches, goals, records or trophies,” he added. “ I see the Portuguese people living abroad who, for 90 minutes, felt a little closer to home.”
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong jailed for 10 years
Caption: (FILES) Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong poses for a photo after an interview with AFP in Washington, DC, on September 21, 2019. A Hong Kong court sentenced Joshua Wong to 10 years in jail on November 5, 2026, for foreign collusion, extending the activist’s prison term beyond the six years he has already served. (Photo by Alastair Pike / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: ALASTAIR PIKE
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Source: AFP
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Joshua Wong, 30, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to “foreign collusion” under the region’s national security law.
Wong is among hundreds of campaigners arrested under the law, which was enforced in 2020 following pro-democracy protests against Beijing’s control in Hong Kong.
Who is Joshua Wong?
Wong rose to fame as the face of Hong Kong’s 2014 pro-democracy demonstrations and “Umbrella Movement”.
Caption: FILE – Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, speaks outside the high court before a ruling on a prosecution request for stiffer sentences following a lower court decision that let them avoid prison in Hong Kong, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)
Photographer: Vincent Yu
Provider: AP Photo/Vincent Yu
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Caption: FILE – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, right, during a news conference on Hong Kong Human Rights on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Sept. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
Photographer: Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Provider: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivai
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
He rallied more than 100,000 people to protest against Hong Kong’s plans to implement mandatory “patriotic education”.
In 2020, Wong stayed in Hong Kong and tried to run for a seat in its legislature – but was barred due to his opposition to the national security law.
The charges he faces
The activist has already spent the last six years in jail for subversion and was due to be freed in January – but will now spend another decade in prison.
Now, prosecutors have claimed he conspired with other campaigners to lobby for foreign sanctions and blockades against Beijing between July and November 2020.
3 min read
1 min read
Hong Kong’s primary culprit
Wong not only severely undermined national sovereignty, security, and development interests, but also directly prejudiced the wellbeing of the general public and the stability of society.
john lee, Hong Kong’s chief executive
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Student leader Joshua Wong arrives at the Eastern Law Courts in Hong Kong, China August 28, 2015. The student leader of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrations faced additional charges on Thursday in connection with the storming of government headquarters which helped spark months-long street protests last year. Wong was charged with unlawful assembly and inciting others to participate in unlawful assembly. He faces two other charges of obstructing police related to a protest in June last year outside the office of China’s top official in Hong Kong and contempt of court, and appeared in court on Friday to face those charges. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo
Photographer: Tyrone Siu
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Caption: (FILES) Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong prepares to leave after a press conference in Hong Kong on July 31, 2020, after a dozen local democracy activists were disqualified from standing in September’s legislative elections the day before. A Hong Kong court sentenced Joshua Wong to 10 years in jail on November 5, 2026, for foreign collusion, extending the activist’s prison term beyond the six years he has already served. (Photo by Anthony WALLACE / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: ANTHONY WALLACE
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Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Opponents hit back
Cruel and unjust.
Critics argue that the national security law has completely silenced political opposition and debate.
Elaine Pearson, director of Human Rights Watch in Asia, believes this ruling serves “to keep Hong Kong society subdued”.
“The government appears to have adopted the tactic of stacking charges against influential pro-democracy leaders,” she said.
Caption: File photo dated 03/02/22 of an online energy bill. Households are facing heightened winter pressure from energy bills after regulator Ofgem raised its price cap by 4% to a three-year high. The regulator said the price cap will rise by ?60 per year – or ?5 per month – to ?1,723 for the average household using both electricity and gas if this level was sustained for a year. Issue date: Wednesday August 26, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
Photographer: Jacob King
Provider: Jacob King/PA Wire
Source: PA
politics
The 2.4 million households that could have energy debt wiped
Plans published alongside Chancellor John Healey’s Budget last week reveal a new strategy to help homes that have fallen behind on their gas and electricity bills.
‘Circuit breaker’ strategy
The Government and energy regulator Ofgem’s new plan vows a one-off Debt Relief Scheme.
Ofgem estimates around 2.4 million customers have debt that could be considered for the scheme and help Britons “get back on top of their finances and make a fresh start”.
However, the exact figures on how many people will receive help and the amount of debt written off will be finalised next year.
Exclusive
3 min read
3 min read
What has led to this new scheme?
- In 2022, energy costs soared after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed up wholesale gas prices.
- At the peak of the conflict, a typical household’s annual bill was capped at £2,500 – double the previous year.
- Great Britain’s household energy debt stood at £5bn in the middle of 2026 – three times that of 2021.
- Now, more than 2 million households are in debt with their suppliers.
- While Ofgem first proposed a debt-tackling scheme in November 2025, the plan never went ahead until its current revival.
- The strategy has expanded and is now aimed at the debt built up during the peak of the crisis.
- Government analysis suggests the expanded scheme could save households £130 over the next decade.
What makes people qualify?
Most working-age benefits are increased in line with inflation each year (Photo: Peter Dazeley/Getty)
Circumstances
Britons in “genuine financial need” will be prioritised under latest plans. This covers those on universal credit or pensioners.
Debt
People with little realistic prospect of paying back the sums of debt on their own will be helped.
Savers will pay higher taxes from April (Dominic Lipinski/Press Association)
Serps was introduced in 1978 as an additional state pension on top of the basic state pension (Photo: Nitat Termmee/Getty)
Engagement
It is also dependent on how willing households are to negotiate with suppliers on repayment plans and future bills.
Who pays for the scheme?
While the Government has not exactly outlined who will exactly fund the strategy yet, Ofgem is expected to announce this later in the year.
The i Paper understands it will add a small upfront cost to bills, but the Government expects to pay for it itself within two years.
Ministers have set out plans to redesign a flagship policy which was introduced to make hundreds of thousands of homes warmer amid government fears targets will be missed. (Steve Parsons/PA)
Ayo has been dealing with debt since her daughter was born (Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Government analysis suggests the new scheme should prevent more than £5bn of new energy debt building up by 2036. The Budget promised that no new government costs would be added to energy bills until a new framework is in place.
What happens next?
Those on pre-payment meters could face more misery this winter
(Photo: Nick Ansell/PA Wire)
- Ofgem will publish a fresh consultation on the scheme shortly.
- In early 2027, it will make a final decision on the scheme.
- In spring 2027, it is scheduled to go live, depending on the consultation.
Explained
4 min read
Typhoons batters East Asia as El Niño grows
In recent months across the Philippines, Taiwan, China and Japan, intense and volatile storms, worsened by the climate phenomenon El Niño, have destroyed major airports, ruined infrastructure and killed dozens.
Caption: A pedestrian holds an umbrella as Typhoon Champi approaches Taiwan, in Keelung, Taiwan, October 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Photographer: Ann Wang
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
What is El Niño?
Caption: The eye of Typhoon Champi swirls over the Philippine Sea, as seen from space on October 21, 2026 in this screengrab taken from a handout GIF image. CSU/CIRA and JMA/JAXA /Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. OVERLAYS FROM SOURCE.
Photographer: CSU/CIRA and JMA/JAXA
Provider: via REUTERS
Source: Handout
El Niño is a naturally occurring complex weather phenomenon that transpires over the Pacific Ocean roughly every two to seven years.
It can increase global temperatures, as it weakens trade winds and allows warmer water to spread across central and eastern parts of the tropical Pacific.
East Asia storm timeline
- June: Typhoon Mekkhala and Storm Higos forced 1 million people to evacuate Japan.
- July: Storm Narra submerged villages along China’s southern coast and displaced tens of thousands.
- August: Super Typhoon Dolphin triggered heavy floods and dozens of casualties in China over 16 days.
- August: Typhoon Saudel made landfall in three Chinese cities in just one week, shutting transport and forcing evacuations.
The impact in pictures
Caption: Floodwaters inundate a street after heavy rainfall brought by typhoon Narra caused flooding in Chongzuo, Guangxi Region, China, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on August 24, 2026. Social Media/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. Verification Lines : Reuters was able to confirm the location from signage, road layout, building structures and trees which matched with archive and satellite image of the region. Date was not verified but no earlier footages are posted online before August 24. Longzhou County government upgraded its flood control emergency response to Level I on August 24. Chongzuo City Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issued an emergency notice on Monday regarding flood prevention and control, stating that three townships in Ningming County experienced cumulative rainfall exceeding 500 millimeters from August 21 to 24.
Photographer: SOCIAL MEDIA
Provider: via REUTERS
Source: UGC
Caption: An uprooted tree blocks a road after strong winds brought by Typhoon Champi, in Taipei, Taiwan October 24, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Photographer: Ann Wang
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Caption: Sandbags are placed along a path leading to a beach at a hotel complex as Typhoon Champi approaches the region on Japan’s Ishigaki Island, southwestern Japan, October 22, 2026. REUTERS/John Geddie
Photographer: John Geddie
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
East Asia vs El Niño
Caption: Waves generated by Typhoon Champi crash against a seawall in Keelung, Taiwan, October 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Photographer: Ann Wang
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
- October: Typhoon Champi cut off 15,000 Japanese homes from power at a speed of 295kph.
- Hundreds of flights were forced to cancel in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
2 min read
How are countries preparing?
Japan
Stockpile food, essentials and secure outside furniture that could become deadly when typhoons hit.
China
Local officials will identify vulnerable areas and upgrade warning and monitoring systems.
The Philippines
In lieu of food production disruption, farmers receive increased support.
3 min read
Burnham is understood to have been persuaded that freedom of movement may be the most significant bargaining chip to secure meaningful concessions from Brussels, and that it is better to have the difficult conversation now rather than avoid it.
The Prime Minister has made no secret of his hope that Britain might rejoin the bloc in his lifetime, and has reiterated this since becoming Prime Minister.
There is no suggestion he has settled on a policy position or an offer. But Michael Barnier – who led withdrawal negotiations for the EU after the Brexit vote – said on Thursday that while the door was open for the UK to rejoin the European Union, freedom of movement “is not negotiable”.
In the interview with Sky News he caveated that this was a personal view. However, freedom of movement is a key plank of membership of the single market and it is unlikely the UK could go as far as Burnham indicates he would like to without a concession.
Freedom of movement could prove difficult for the Home Secretary
That calculation, however, brings freedom of movement into direct conflict with Labour’s domestic immigration agenda. It could prove difficult for the Home Secretary given her tough stance on immigration.
Mahmood has already faced a backlash over her plans to extend the wait for indefinite leave to remain, the right to settle permanently in the UK. She softened the proposals after opposition from Labour MPs and unions, retaining a five-year route for some care workers while extending the wait to 10 years for many lower-paid migrants.
However, those familiar with the discussions claim Mahmood is less of a stumbling block than some fear. One source suggested Burnham had himself set the “mood music” for a climbdown, while Mahmood had quickly read the room and recognised the strength of opposition within Cabinet, including from Angela Rayner.
Despite the public divisions, the position eventually reached was more consensual than the earlier exchanges might have suggested.
On freedom of movement, a senior Whitehall source said the challenge for any Home Secretary would be the strength of public opposition, particularly given the government’s commitment to reducing net migration.
Another senior Whitehall source said any move towards freedom of movement would inevitably increase migration unless the government reduced it through another route.
It would also force ministers into difficult domestic arguments about prioritising migration from Europe over migration from elsewhere.
Healey comments ‘irritated’ No 10
Burnham’s next big test will be the UK–EU summit later this month, when attention will turn to whether he can translate his warmer rhetoric towards Brussels into concrete progress on food trade, youth mobility and defence.
The contentious issue of university tuition fees remains unresolved, while any concessions to the EU will need to be balanced against domestic political and financial pressures.
After the summit, Burnham is expected to want to open a wider conversation about Britain’s future relationship with Europe, including the question of freedom of movement.
Without a more substantial offer from the UK, any broader reset could take many years to achieve.
Last week Burnham said he would like to see the UK rejoin the EU in his lifetime, but insisted he would “not move ahead of the public” on the issue.
But in a later interview with Channel 4 News, Healey was asked whether he expected Britain to return to the bloc in his lifetime. “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that,” he replied, adding that his priority was to make the most of Britain’s position outside the EU.
Healey is 66, 10 years older than the Prime Minister.
Senior Whitehall sources suggested Healey’s comments had irritated No 10, amid concerns that public differences between ministers risk presenting a divided Government ahead of the UK–EU summit in Brussels on 20 November.
“It is seen as unhelpful for the Cabinet to be seen as divided ahead of what are expected to be quite complex discussions,” said one source. Another added: “He needs reining in.”
“Few Labour MPs who want a long-term future in the Labour Party are likely to want to commit hari-kari over [closer ties with the EU] and I would put Shabana Mahmood and Healey into this category,” a senior Whitehall source said.
One source suggested that if the political momentum continued in the Prime Minister’s favour, ministers would ultimately row in behind him.
Public support growing for EU ties
Private polling, reportedly showing growing support for closer EU ties even in traditionally Leave-voting constituencies, is expected to strengthen Burnham’s hand.
Senior Labour figures who served in Sir Keir Starmer’s government have begun to come out in favour of Britain rejoining the EU.
One senior Labour insider suggested it was only a matter of time before Starmer himself made a significant intervention on the issue.
Starmer was Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary when Britain left the EU and argued in favour of a second referendum, believing voters should have the final say on the terms of the UK’s departure.
After the 2019 election, however, he accepted that Labour needed to respect the referendum result and move on from the question of whether to leave the EU.
Rachel Reeves is the latest senior figure from Starner’s government to throw her weight behind Burnham’s reopening of the Brexit debate, declaring that she believes Britain’s future lies in the EU.
In an article for The Sunday Times last weekend, the former Chancellor said Brexit had made the UK “poorer, weaker and less secure”, adding that she welcomed the Prime Minister’s leadership in confronting the question of Britain’s long-term relationship with Europe.
However, Reeves stopped short of calling for an immediate return to membership, arguing that supporters of rejoining must make a convincing case, demonstrate tangible benefits and get the next steps right.
She also identified two priorities for the UK–EU summit on 20 November: progress towards a proposed youth mobility scheme and closer cooperation through the EU’s SAFE defence partnership, which could open up opportunities for British defence companies.
Also in the background is the towering figure of Gordon Brown, officially the Prime Minister’s Special Reviewer on Global Finance and Co-operation, who helped lead the Remain campaign in the Brexit referendum.
The view from France
Much of the debate about Britain’s future relationship with Europe is likely to be shaped by the political climate in France, where Marine Le Pen is seeking to capitalise on strong polling ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
A National Rally victory would raise questions about the future direction of the EU and add another complication to any renewed push for closer UK–EU ties.
A source familiar with British foreign policy thinking suggested Le Pen would seek to present herself as a more conventional international leader while pursuing her aim of reducing France’s contribution to the EU budget.
A rough estimate suggests the UK’s return to the bloc could reduce France’s relative share of the bill by around 25 per cent, although much would depend on the terms of any re-entry deal. It could also leave Britain facing the prospect of negotiating alongside a French president from the National Rally.
Another source suggested Le Pen might be open to a similar arrangement with Burnham to the migration pact agreed between Jordan Bardella and Nigel Farage. The pact reportedly envisages cooperation on returning migrants who cross the Channel in small boats. Whether Le Pen would be prepared to offer similar terms to a Labour government remains unclear.
Ultimately, Burnham’s European ambitions will depend not just on how far he is prepared to go, but on whether he can bring his own party, his Cabinet and a sceptical public with him.
No 10 has been contacted for comment.