Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, tipped to be the next British prime minister, insists the UK will not rejoin the European Union in his lifetime.
Talking to reporters on Wednesday (July 3), the day before the UK general election, he ruled out rejoining the European Union (EU), the single market, or the customs union, says the Guardian. The European single market, which allows cross-border free movement of goods and people, includes the 27 EU member states as well as Norway, Iceland and Leichtenstein. The EU Customs Union includes Monaco.
Starmer’s U-turn
Starmer’s ruling out a reunion with Europe represents a complete change of stance from the Starmer of old.
Starmer, 61, was a Remainer. He opposed Brexit in the 2016 referendum and wanted Britain to remain within EU.
But a reunion with Europe is too divisive an issue to pursue any longer. Starmer made that clear in June. “I voted to remain. I campaigned to remain,” the Labour leader said. “But what that referendum did was to throw politics into turmoil for three years. Between 2016 and 2019, our parliament couldn’t get anything done. It caused huge uncertainty. And I don’t think returning to that kind of uncertainty is actually going to help us rebuild our economy, rebuild our country, grow the wealth and create the wealth that we need for the secure jobs of the future.”
Some, nevertheless, claimed Labour would try to get Britain into the European single market or customs union if re-elected for a second five-year term in 2029.
Starmer said: “No. I don’t think that that is going to happen. I’ve been really clear about not rejoining the EU, the single market or the customs union – or [allowing a] return to freedom of movement.”
Labur’s Brexit divisions
Starmer’s ruling out a reunion with Europe puts him at odds with a large section of Labour supporters. More than half the Labour voters said they believed Britain’s EU membership had “not been settled and should be reopened”, reports the Financial Times.
However, many erstwhile Labour loyalists voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum and supported the Conservatives in the 2017 and 2019 general elections.
No wonder, Starmer largely avoided talking about Europe during the current election campaign.
Though he is expected to win by a landslide, ending 14 years of Conservative rule, there could be hard days ahead.
Whoever wins the election faces the worst economic and fiscal inheritance for any government since the war, says Bloomberg
With the National Health Service and other essential public services in crisis, growth anaemic, and the tax burden at a post-World War II high, the electorate is crying out for change.