Minister and Spokesman Give Different Answers on Free Movement
The business secretary says officials will begin discussing the range of future options for the relationship with the European Union, free movement among them, before the summit in Brussels on 20 November. A government spokesman, the same day, said there are no current discussions on free movement. Both are on the record.
That contradiction is tonight’s story and it is not a matter of emphasis. Pressed on whether officials are talking to Brussels about free movement, the business secretary said “they will be talking to them about what the future options for our relationship might be”, while insisting “here and now, the focus should be on the summit”. The spokesman’s formulation was that the government is working “on the areas set out and agreed ahead of the UK-EU Summit and within the manifesto red lines” — the summit agenda being food, youth mobility, electricity and emissions trading. A second ambiguity needs owning, because it touches what we published last night. Accounts of the prime minister’s own position differ: he answered “no” when a broadcaster asked whether he could bring in free movement without a referendum, which is what we reported, but a fuller account of his weekend interview has him saying a referendum would be needed only to rejoin the Union outright. Both renderings are in approved sources and we are not choosing between them. One hard thing did happen: ministers confirmed to the Commons that Britain rejoins the Erasmus exchange scheme in January.