{"id":81492,"date":"2025-05-07T09:32:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T09:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/81492\/"},"modified":"2025-05-07T09:32:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T09:32:10","slug":"the-house-opinion-article-amexit-must-force-us-to-rethink-brexit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/81492\/","title":{"rendered":"The House Opinion Article | \u2018Amexit\u2019 must force us to rethink Brexit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\u2018Amexit\u2019<\/p>\n

Keir Starmer speaks with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Sept 2024 (Leon Neal\/Pool Photo via AP)<\/p>\n


\n \"Liam
\n <\/a><\/p>\n


\n 4 min read1 hr
\n \n <\/p>\n

Nearly 10 years on from the Brexit vote, the unsayable has become the inescapable.<\/p>\n

Suddenly faced with a radically altered global trade and geopolitical environment, UK ministers are finally moving to break down the barriers we unilaterally built with our largest trading partner and nearest ally.<\/p>\n

For we are now history\u2019s witnesses to a transformation in the Western alliance.<\/p>\n

American officials might declare that \u201cAmerica First\u201d does not mean \u201cAmerica Alone\u201d. But it\u2019s very clear President Donald Trump is retreating from the multilateral system built by Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, at the heart of our new trade strategy must be an ambitious reset of our EU relations. Bluntly put: \u2018Amexit\u2019 must force us to rethink Brexit.<\/p>\n

Today, our relationship with the EU is stuck in yesterday\u2019s logic. We can\u2019t risk the unity and political stability secured at the last election \u2013 there will be no leap to rejoin the Customs Union or Single Market \u2013 but mere tinkering will not do. We must find a bold but pragmatic new way forward.<\/p>\n

The Business and Trade Committee is currently running inquiries on the UK\u2019s imminent industrial strategy and export-led growth, where in evidence Best for Britain shared its calculations that close alignment with the EU on goods alone would more than offset the impact of the USA\u2019s chaotic tariff war.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the government has declined to set out its thinking on how to remake this relationship for maximum mutual benefit. Enter the committee\u2019s \u201cgreen paper in lieu\u201d, How to strengthen UK-EU relations: 20 ways we can begin to fix Brexit\u2019s crippling hit to UK growth and prosperity, published at the beginning of April after a series of meetings in Brussels and at the World Trade Organization. Our consultation with UK businesses, trade unions and consumer groups closed last week.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll set out those findings shortly, ahead of the UK-EU summit later this month, but as a starter the report sets out how we can draw closer to our neighbours to strengthen our joint security, grow our economy and raise the standard of living \u2013 as every government owes to the people it serves. These 20 practical measures \u2013 short and medium term, spanning economic security and defence, boosting trade in goods, services, energy and culture \u2013 are proposals that government could begin negotiations on. Here are some headlines:<\/p>\n