Wes Streeting pushes for Brexit unravelling claiming Britain should join EU customs union
The Health Secretary suggested the UK would be better off re-joining part of the European Union.
Wes Streeting claimed the UK might be better off back in the EU customs union (Image: PA )
Wes Streeting has suggested Labour must go further in unravelling Brexit as he claimed Britain and the government wanted closer ties with Europe. The Health Secretary suggested the UK could rejoin the EU customs union, as he argued for a “deeper trading relationship” with Europe to promote economic growth.
He told The Observer: “The reason why leaving the EU hit us so hard as a country is because of the enormous economic benefits that came with being in the single market and the customs union.
“This is a country and a government that wants a closer trading relationship with Europe. The challenge is any economic partnership we have can’t lead to a return to freedom of movement.”
That would rule out rejoining the single market, which would require UK-EU free movement, but leaves open the possibility of a customs union.
Wes Streeting made the comments over the weekend (Image: PA )
Mr Streeting added: “We’ve taken a massive economic hit leaving the European Union. I’m really uncomfortable with the level of taxation in this country
“We’re asking a lot of individual taxpayers, we’re asking a lot of businesses. We’ve got a level of indebtedness that we need to take very seriously. The best way for us to get more growth into our economy is a deeper trading relationship with the EU.”
Sir Keir Starmer negotiated a trade deal with the EU in May, with major concessions on fishing and bureaucratic red tape. Mr Streeting said the pact was a “good start” but he would like to go further.
Wes Streeting and Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir (Image: PA )
The government insists it will honour its manifesto pledge to remain outside the customs union and single market, with no return to freedom of movement.
But there is pressure from within Labour to go further – 13 of its MPs rebelled this month to support a Lib Dem motion in favour of rejoining the customs union.
