Starmer Indicates Readiness for Selective EU Cooperation on National Grounds
2022 Mins Read
Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK should move towards closer alignment with EU markets “if it’s in our national interest”.
The prime minister told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg it would be “better looking to the single market rather than the customs union for our further alignment”, in order to protect trade deals with India and the US.
But he ruled out revisiting manifesto promises not to rejoin the EU single market or customs union, or to end freedom of movement.
The comments are the clearest indication yet that Sir Keir wants to pursue a closer relationship with Europe in a broader number of areas.
The Conservatives said the PM was using Brexit as an excuse for the UK’s economic struggles.
The UK is already lining up with Brussels on some rules around food and agriculture to allow access to the economic European trading zone known as the single market.
Sir Keir told Laura Kuenssberg: “I think we should get closer, and if it’s in our national interest to have even closer alignment with the single market, then we should consider that, we should go that far.
“I think it’s in our national interest to go further.”
He added: “I actually think that now we’ve done deals with the US, which are in our national interest, now we’ve done deals with India which are in our national interest, we are better looking to the single market rather than the customs union for our further alignment. And it wouldn’t be in our interest now to give up.”
Stressing that building closer economic ties was a “sovereign decision”, the prime minister said that doing so had led to the best relationship with the EU “for 10 years”.
“What I’m saying is, there are other areas where we should consider whether it’s in our interest to do the same and align with the single market,” he said.
“Now, that needs to be considered on an issue-by-issue, sector-by-sector basis, but we’ve already done it with food and agriculture and that will be implemented this year.”
Sir Keir’s comments follow pressure from within the Labour movement to go further on a customs union, with 13 backbenchers backing proposals that would pave the way for such an arrangement in a Commons vote in December.
