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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has expressed to the BBC his openness to the UK moving towards closer alignment with European Union markets, but only if it serves the national interest. Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg, he emphasized a preference for engaging more closely with the EU single market rather than rejoining the customs union. This approach, he explained, would better protect the UK’s recent trade deals with countries like India and the United States.
While Sir Keir’s remarks signal a willingness to strengthen economic ties with Europe, he was unequivocal that Labour is not reconsidering its manifesto commitments to remain outside both the EU single market and customs union. He also reaffirmed the party’s stance against reinstating freedom of movement for EU citizens. These comments represent the clearest indication to date of his intent to deepen the UK’s relationship with the EU in specific sectors without reversing Brexit.
Currently, the UK is already aligning with Brussels on certain regulations, particularly in food and agriculture, to facilitate access to the EU’s single market. Starmer described decisions to deepen alignment as strictly sovereign and said this strategy had resulted in what he described as the strongest UK-EU relationship in a decade. He highlighted the need to evaluate such alignment on an issue-by-issue and sector-by-sector basis, citing food and agriculture rules as an example of areas where closer cooperation is planned for implementation within the year.
The prime minister’s comments come amid internal pressures within the Labour Party, including a group of backbenchers advocating for a future parliamentary vote on customs union membership. When reminded of his assurance that “Brexit is safe in my hands,” Sir Keir stressed that his proposals do not seek to reverse Brexit but instead look ahead to what benefits the UK. He also addressed concerns regarding youth mobility agreements, clarifying that plans to expand schemes like Erasmus do not equate to restoring freedom of movement, although he supports opportunities for young people to study and exchange with EU countries
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