London Mayor Sadiq Khan said rejoining the European Union should be a Labour policy, referencing the election of Donald Trump as reasons to revisit the controversial issue
Sadiq Khan has called on Labour to include a pledge to reverse Brexit in its manifesto at the next general election.
The London Mayor said rejoining the European Union should be a Labour policy, referencing growing global instability and the election of Donald Trump as reasons to revisit the controversial issue.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Sir Sadiq set out a road map for closer ties with the EU as he slammed the daily “damage” of ditching the bloc. His plan includes rejoining both the customs union and the single market.
He said: “I see on a daily basis the damage Brexit has done to not just London, but to Londoners, the damage economically, socially and culturally. I’m quite clear in terms of what needs to happen, which is, we should join the European Union.”
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The Labour politician continued: “We should, as a Labour Party, fight the next general election with a clear manifesto commitment, a vote for Labour means we would rejoin the European Union. I think it’s inevitable.”
Sir Sadiq arguing that “the facts have changed” and “the evidence has changed” since the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016. He pointed to the election of the erratic US President Mr Trump and the passage of time as factors.
He said: “It is an inevitable and increasingly necessary destiny, in an incredibly unstable world and with Donald Trump in power in America. Europe is our only security. For this reason, I am asking Prime Minister Keir Starmer and our Labour Party to go into the next elections with a promise to rejoin the EU.”
He cited Mr Trump “imposing tariffs on friend and foe, creating huge economic uncertainty that was unforeseen at the last general election”, as well as the US being “involved with Israel in a war in Iran, causing huge additional economic uncertainty, affecting the price of oil, affecting the cost of living”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves earlier this week warned the UK risked being “stranded” between rival trading blocs unless it sought closer ties with Brussels. She said the UK would still diverge from the EU’s regulations in some areas but they would be “the exception, not the norm”. “The prize is considerable,” Ms Reeves said, claiming closer alignment would help bring down prices and inflation.
Brexit had created “profound uncertainty” and left the UK facing the risk of being “stranded between powerful trading blocs as globalisation retreats”, she warned. “Our fate as a country is inescapably bound with that of Europe,” the Chancellor added.
Since being elected, Keir Starmer has tried to “reset” relations with Brussels in an effort to improve trade ties. In a major speech on Britain’s global relationship in December, the PM criticised the “wild promises” of Brexit and was clear that Britain must make its relationship with the EU work for British people.
He said that while Brexit was a “fair, democratic expression”, the way it was sold and delivered was “simply wrong”. “The Brexit vote was a fair, democratic expression, and I will always respect that,” he said.
“But how it was sold and delivered was simply wrong. Wild promises were made to the British people and not fulfilled. We are still dealing with the consequences today.”
By the time of the next joint summit later this year, the UK and EU want to finalise agreements on a youth mobility scheme, as well as establishing a common sanitary and phytosanitary area and on linking their emissions trading systems.
In February, Downing Street dismissed the prospect of rejoining the customs union after European economic commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the bloc would be open to discussions.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We will not be rejoining the customs union, the single market or returning to freedom of movement. Those are our red lines as per the Government’s manifesto.
“We do want a closer economic partnership with the EU, but rejoining the customs union would unpick important trade agreements we’ve reached, including our deals with the US and India.”