The Prime Minister has said that he is prepared to move towards \u201ceven closer alignment\u201d with the EU\u2019s single market \u2013 arguing it would be in the country\u2019s \u201cnational interest\u201d to do so.<\/p>\n
Under pressure over sticky economic growth, and continued whispers of leadership threats, Starmer said the UK should seek to mirror the bloc\u2019s trade rules more closely but not rejoin a customs union.<\/p>\n
The EU\u2019s single market was totemic in the Brexit debate because it embodied the central conflict between economic trade and freedom of movement.<\/p>\n
Starmer\u2019s pitch-rolling for a cosier EU-UK relationship came after The i Paper revealed the PM\u2019s leadership rivals are seeking out policy proposals for a softer post-Brexit deal<\/a> \u2013 and amid pressure from Labour backbenchers to change course over joining a customs union.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Brexit hasn\u2019t worked\u2019, Labour MPs believe<\/p>\n One Labour source said there was a \u201cfairly clear consensus\u201d in the party that \u201cBrexit hasn\u2019t worked\u201d and the economy would not see \u201cnearly enough growth\u201d under the current reset.<\/p>\n But economists argue that it is only through rejoining the single market entirely \u2013 or becoming a member of the EU again<\/a> \u2013 that the UK would see a significant economic boost from its ties with the bloc.<\/p>\n Starmer\u2019s comments were the starkest signal yet from the Prime Minister that he is prepared to seek a radically softer Brexit deal with Brussels.<\/p>\n However, Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, argued there is limited scope for genuinely closer alignment without fully rejoining the single market, which would include allowing freedom of movement, which has been ruled out by Starmer.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the EU has been absolutely clear that beyond what we\u2019ve agreed already, which is basically emissions, agriculture and electricity, if we want greater alignment we\u2019d have to think about the single market,\u201d Menon said.<\/p>\n As part of Starmer\u2019s current Brexit reset, the UK and EU have agreed to strike deals on food and drink trade to boost the economy, on energy and linking carbon markets, and on improving the movement of young people in both directions.<\/p>\n Menon said even a Swiss-style model, which allows tariff-free trade for most goods without Switzerland being in the EU, still requires the country to accept key rules and the free movement of people, as well as making financial contributions.<\/p>\n \u201cTo all intents and purposes, for political purposes, that is being in the single market,\u201d Menon explained.<\/p>\n He accused Starmer of seeking to send a message to Labour members and MPs in an attempt to quell rumoured leadership threats, rather than proposing a serious plan.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Europe becomes an issue in party politics, and particularly in inter-party politics, we start talking nonsense about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems to me this is the Prime Minister signalling there is a debate being kickstarted by the prospect of a leadership election and they can\u2019t just stay schtum on it.\u201d<\/p>\n While Starmer\u2019s position does not appear to be in immediate danger, big defeats in May\u2019s local elections could accelerate the possibility of a leadership contest and candidates are staking out softer Brexit positions with one eye on a future leadership challenge. <\/p>\n
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