Angela Rayner has insisted nothing should be taken off the table in “honest conversations” with the Europe Union about a future relationship.

The senior Cabinet minister also claimed Andy Burnham was not attempting to re-run the arguments of the past and the divisive 2016 Brexit referendum.

Her intervention came after the Prime Minister called for an “honest discussion” about freedom of movement between the UK and EU as he considers options for a new relationship with Brussels.

Freedom of movement is considered a cornerstone of the European Union and allows people to travel, work and study within the bloc – but was a major issue of debate during the 2016 Brexit vote.

Housing Secretary Ms Rayner told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “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.

“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 said: “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%, 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.”

She added: “You can’t take anything off the table when you’re having a conversation.”

Mr Burnham, who is set to attend a major UK-EU summit in Brussels next month, has promised to lay out options for a new relationship with the EU. This could potentially include a return to full EU membership or joining the single market – which would require free movement.

He told the Sunday Times: “I think you have to have a very factual, quite evidence-based debate about this.”

But Mr Burnham said he could not imagine recommending the UK joins the Schengen borderless area or ditches the pound to adopt the euro. “I can’t see myself ever recommending anything that would involve joining the euro or Schengen,” he said.

The Prime Minister has previously committed to the red lines in Labour’s 2024 election manifesto – which ruled out the return of free movement, single market membership or a customs union.

It means any fundamental change in the relationship would have to wait until after a general election.

Tory turncoat and Reform MP Robert Jenrick, who backed the Remain campaign in 2016, claimed the idea of returning to free movement with the European Union was “completely mad”.

But the Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper backed a return to freedom of movement.

She said:”Under freedom of movement, it works both ways. It’s a reciprocal agreement. Now, if there aren’t any jobs here in the UK, you’re not going to get a lot of people coming over here for jobs that don’t exist.

“But what it will do is it will reduce the cost of doing business. It will tear down the red tape and the paperwork that exists for British businesses, it will see more businesses coming here.

“Businesses will be able to create new jobs for young people, both in the UK and other people who want to come here.

“Freedom of movement, as well as freedom of capital and trade and ripping up red tape that has absolutely strangled British businesses, would be a really good thing for growth.

“And if we can get our economy growing again, we can cut people’s taxes. We can cut their bills. We can put money back in their pockets. That is a good thing.”

Angela Rayner Insists Nothing Is ‘Off the Table’ in Andy Burnham’s EU Talks

Angela Rayner has reignited debate over Britain’s relationship with the European Union after reportedly insisting that nothing should be ruled out in discussions associated with Andy Burnham’s approach to the country’s future relationship with Brussels.

The comments raise important questions about the direction of Labour’s European policy, the possibility of closer economic cooperation and the political consequences of reopening difficult questions surrounding Brexit.

For supporters of a closer relationship with the EU, the prospect of more ambitious negotiations could offer an opportunity to reduce trade barriers, improve cooperation and address some of the economic difficulties that have emerged since Britain left the bloc.

For Brexit supporters, however, any suggestion that Britain might move towards deeper integration with Brussels could raise concerns about sovereignty, democratic accountability and whether the government is respecting the result of the 2016 referendum.

The debate is particularly sensitive because Labour must balance the potential economic benefits of closer European cooperation against the political divisions that Brexit continues to create.

Although the phrase ‘nothing is off the table’ can suggest that a wide range of options deserves consideration, it does not necessarily mean that a return to EU membership has been formally proposed or agreed.

The precise meaning of the reported comments, and the policies that might follow, therefore remain central to understanding the developing discussion.

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