David Lammy has suggested that rejoining the EU customs union would boost economic growth and said Brexit “badly damaged” the UK economy.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that rejoining the customs union was not “currently” the Government’s policy, but that other countries had “seen growth” after doing so.
“It’s self-evident that leaving the European Union badly damaged our economy, took us out of an important market place and created serious friction,” he told the News Agents podcast.
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“You can see countries like Turkey with a customs union seemingly benefiting and seeing growth in their economy, and again, that’s self-evident,” he said.
He was asked repeatedly whether rejoining the customs union could be a new policy or manifesto commitment.
“That would subject to collective responsibility,” he said, before laughing and adding: “That would be a big headline for the News Agents, which I’m not going to do.”
On Thursday, Darren Jones, Sir Keir’s chief secretary, told the Commons he had not listened to the programme, but that any new policies would be announced “in this House, not on podcasts.”
He continued: “The Prime Minister was very clear yesterday on the position the Government hold in relation to a single market and a customs union, while also improving our trading and security relationships, which is what we will continue to deliver on.”
A spokesman for Lammy told the Times: “Our red lines are clear: there will be no return to the single market or the customs union.
“We are putting the national interest first, building a closer trading relationship with Europe that is good for jobs, bills, and borders.”
On Monday Sir Keir Starmer spoke out about Brexit, saying the British public were sold “wild promises” that were left unfulfilled by the Conservatives and are still hampering the country today.
He condemned the implementation of Brexit by the Tories, and insisted that the UK must make its relationship work with the European Union.
In a piece for the Guardian, he wrote: “We must confront the reality that the botched Brexit deal significantly hurt our economy.
“One element of our economic renewal will be continuing to move towards a closer trading relationship with the EU.”
On Wednesday, Starmer and Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, hailed improved relations since Brexit, as they met at Downing St.
Steinmeier said that since the “the difficult days” after the UK’s vote to leave the EU, the countries had developed “capabilities to manage it a little bit better”.
He said relations had improved with the July signing of the so-called Kensington Treaty to deepen ties in areas ranging from defence to immigration.
“We have a new security situation in Europe, if not in the whole world. So therefore there is a need of closer co-operation.
“But we were talking also about economic and closer ties between our companies, about the exchange of people,” he said.