Yvette Cooper refused to back Rachel Reeves over an EU youth mobility scheme four times during a tense LBC interview, exposing a major Cabinet split. On Sunday, the Chancellor sparked outrage by openly admitting Labour plans to “betray” Brexit by agreeing to the free movement policy with Brussels.

Speaking in Washington DC, Ms Reeves openly admitted the Government wants “to enable young people from Europe and the UK to be able to work and travel overseas”. However, there have been major disagreements in Cabinet, spearheaded by Ms Cooper, who is said to believe the policy could undermine Labour’s promises to bring down net migration. The Home Secretary is reportedly insisting on a cap on numbers and a time limit for those participating of just one year – a quarter of what the EU has called for.

LBC host Nick Ferrari pointed out that Ms Cooper had promised as recently as February there would be “no movement towards a youth mobility scheme” with the EU.

Asked if she supported the U-turn, she replied: “Well, it’s not something that we’ve put forward because we’ve always been clear that net migration needs to come down.”

After attacking the Tories’ migration record, she was asked a second time: “But do you support a youth mobility scheme with the EU, Home Secretary?”

She dodged the question again. “Net migration needs to come down and that’s why we didn’t put forward these proposals,” she said.

Ferrari tried a third time to clarify whether she supports the policy, to which Ms Cooper replied: “There’s a lot of speculation and reports at the moment, and there will be up until the EU summit.

“I’m not going to comment on the speculation and reporting and so on.”

Asked a fourth time whether she supports a youth mobility movement, the Home Secretary replied: “What we’re doing is working closely with the EU on how we can improve action on irregular migration.

“The bottom line on everything we do is to make sure we get net migration numbers to come down.”

Ferrari concluded: “Yes, I don’t hear your full-throated support for that.”

The EU youth mobility plan is a major U-turn from Sir Keir Starmer’s ministers after the Government previously flatly rejected calls for such a scheme. The Conservatives said the Government’s new negotiating ambition is a betrayal of the 2016 referendum vote.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Be in no doubt, this is just another attempt by Labour to betray Brexit and reopen the door to uncontrolled and unlimited immigration. Every time Labour negotiates, Britain loses.”

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, an ardent Brexiteer, told the Express the planned sell-out is merely the “thin end of the wedge”.

She warned: “The British people voted to take back control and end free movement of people. This agreement is the thin end of the wedge and the continuation of the Brexit betrayal.

“Labour never accepted the result of the referendum and are determined to see us return into the clutches of the European Union by stealth.”

Former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg added: “This is part of Labour’s attempt to get the UK back into the EU, but it is giving free movement a different name in an attempt to con British voters.”

He warned: “The Conservatives must promise to annul any deal of this kind and control migration regardless of where it is coming from.”