Donald Trump was accused of being an ‘unreliable partner'(Image: Getty)
The UK must forge closer ties with Europe as Donald Trump proves to be “an unreliable partner”, the head of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) warns today.
Nearly a decade on from the EU referendum, Paul Nowak said both Leavers and Remainers have moved past old divisions and wanted the botched Tory Brexit deal to be fixed. Mr Nowak said a UK-EU customs union should be on the table, which would allow tariff-free trade in exchange for common standards for traded goods.
His comments came after Wes Streeting broke ranks with Keir Starmer by appearing to endorse a customs union deal with the bloc. In an interview with the Mirror, Mr Nowak said: “It doesn’t come down to politics – or whether you voted Brexit or you voted Remain.
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Paul Nowak called for closer ties with the EU(Image: Philip Coburn/Daily Mirror)
“What it comes down to is having the best possible working relationship with our most important trading partner, and that relationship even more important in light of the uncertainty caused by [Donald] Trump in the White House. Whether it’s tariffs or his broader approach to global politics, it’s important we have a close working relationship with our European partners.”
The TUC General Secretary added: “We’ve always been clear that the Government should be prepared to look at every option, up to and including a customs union. It’s about ideology for us or about politics. It’s about what works best for people working in automotive, in aerospace, in chemicals, where we need to have those supply chains that stretch across it into Europe, and we need frictionless trade with Europe.
“It makes a difference to ordinary working people as well. In terms of the prices we’re paying in the supermarket, there has undoubtedly been a Brexit effect in terms of the cost of that weekly shop.”
The TUC leader dismissed lingering Brexit divisions and said it was common sense to pursue a closer trading relationship. He said: “Everybody knows the Tories left us a botched Brexit deal, and the big job now is making sure we fix that and get the best possible deal that we can.
“That’s the right thing to do for working people in this country. It’s not about politics, and it’s certainly not about re-running the referendum. It’s just about saying this is our most important trading partner. We want the best possible relationship with them.”
He added: “It’s important economically, important politically, and increasingly in terms of national security as well, because Donald Trump has proved himself to be an unreliable partner. We need to work closely with Europe economically, but also in terms of Ukraine and other issues as well.”