UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in an interview on Monday that Britain will not return to enacting the EU's free movement rules without a referendum, and that no such shift will happen during this parliament.
Burnham is due to attend a joint summit with the EU in Brussels on 20 November, alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
He outlined that he wanted to use the summit to begin what he called an honest discussion, particularly on migration arrangements. He also said he hoped to secure new agreements to support British agriculture and rebuild cooperation with the EU on migration, even if that required concessions in some areas.
However, he said he could not imagine recommending that the UK join the Schengen area or replace the pound with the euro.
Speaking to the UK's ITV on Monday, Burnham ruled out any change of course on Brexit before the next UK general election. He said he would not go beyond what was in the Labour Party manifesto at the general election in 2024.
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He added that his government wanted to take practical steps on issues that matter to the British public, but said he would never move faster than public opinion on Brexit.
He also suggested that Labour’s next election campaign, expected in 2029, could include a pledge to rejoin the EU.
Burnham has previously said that renewed EU membership remains an option for the UK. He argued that Brexit had worsened what he described as the country’s migration crisis by damaging relations with Brussels and the 27 member states.
He said the UK had lost agreements allowing the return of irregular migrants, making removals more difficult. According to Burnham, this has created a situation in which people who might once have passed through the country now stay permanently.
