Labour leadership hopeful Keir Starmer says he would bring back freedom of movement as PM

‘We have to make the case for freedom of movement,’ says shadow Brexit secretary

Sir Keir Starmer, the frontrunner in the Labour leadership contest, has said he will bring back freedom of movement if he becomes prime minister.

At a speech to mark Brexit day, the shadow Brexit secretary said that the divisions between Leave and Remain must end, and made a passionate defence of EU freedom of movement.

He said: “I want families to be able to live together, whether that’s in Europe or here, and I want people in this country, in the United Kingdom, to be able to go and study in Europe just as they can now, and people in Europe to be able to come and study here.

“We have to make the case for freedom of movement.”

Asked if he would bring it back if he were in No 10, Sir Keir said: “Yes, of course. Bring back, argue for, challenge”.

Boris Johnson has ruled out allowing freedom of movement to continue after Brexit, making a new immigration policy a key part of the Tory election manifesto.

Sir Keir also defended his support for a second referendum, which has been blamed by some in the party for Labour’s catastrophic electoral defeat in December.

Asked if he had any regrets, he said: “Theresa May’s deal was a bad deal. It didn’t protect workplace rights, environmental rights, consumer rights.

“It was a bad deal which would lead to a very, very hard Brexit and we were right to oppose it.

“Let’s not rewrite that. Let’s not pretend it was a good deal somehow.”

Brexit was one of many reasons why Labour lost the election, he said, but arguing that Brexit alone was the cause was “plain wrong”.

“If we go down that route we will not get to the bottom of the challenge we face and we will lose another general election,” he said.

Sir Keir used his speech to call for voting rights for EU nationals remaining in the country, as a statement of support.

“We need to give our EU citizens rights, not tolerance, and that starts with the right to vote,” he said.

“I challenge the government to give EU citizens the right to vote and be properly citizens of our country ... We welcome migrants, we don’t scapegoat them.”

He did not rule out extending the right to people from other countries, when pressed by the audience at an event in central London.

The frontbencher is through to the final stage of the leadership contest, in which members will cast their ballots, alongside MP Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary.

Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, is struggling to make up ground with trade unions and constituency parties, whose support she needs to get on to the ballot paper.

The new Labour leader and the deputy will be announced on 4 April.