A senior figure inside the Labour Party has said bringing back “freedom of movement” for Britons travelling into the EU is “paramount”.
The comments have sparked concern from Tory grandees who said that freedom of movement for Brits would mean the same or similar rights for EU nationals.
Fiona Urquhart, chair of Labour International, a group in charge of getting British expats to vote for Sir Keir Starmer’s party, told a Mallorcan local newspaper: “The party is being cautious, it’s not making too many bold announcements because, should it come to power, it does not know what it’s going to be faced with.
“But I can’t stress enough that it is well aware of many of the problems facing Britons overseas, especially in the EU.
“Should Labour win the next election, it is prepared to revisit some of the Brexit agreements, such as the Windsor Agreement and make it easier for Britons to come and go in Europe.
“Restoring that freedom of movement is paramount and a meeting to discuss the Trade and Cooperation agreement has already been agreed on for 2026.”
She added: “The Labour Party has made it clear that it wants to see a greater level of freedom of movement within the EU for Britons, in particular for professionals and trade.”
Senior Tories have said the comments are evidence that Labour wants to take Britain back into the EU “through the back door”.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith told The Mail on Sunday: “This is stage one, two and three of re-entering the European Union.”
But Sir Iain said: “The EU has made its absolutely clear it is not prepared to allow freedom of movement solely for British citizens, and that this would have to be a new negotiation.
“What Labour are running is a subterranean pro-EU campaign which will surface the day after election day.
“Most Labour MPs will vote for it and it will be re-entry through the back door.”
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis told the publication: “You won’t get free movement solely for Brits. This is a lie, a nonsense. The trade-off will be going back to full free movement.
“If this is Labour policy they should say so loud and clear, not to sneak it in a Mallorca newspaper.”
According to the outlet, a Labour source insisted Ms Urquhart’s comments were not reflective of official party policy.