Brexit: Sadiq Khan attacks Labour’s ‘omerta’ over re-joining EU single market

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London mayor Sadiq Khan has criticised the “omerta” which has prevented the get together from debating whether or not the UK might re-join the EU single market after Brexit.

The senior Labour determine recommended there was a code of silence which stopped Sir Keir Starmer’s get together discussing bolder steps to re-integrate with Brussels.

Mr Khan – a number one critic of Boris Johnson’s “hard” Brexit deal – has beforehand known as for Britain to think about signing up once more to the bloc’s customs union and financial single market.

Sir Keir continues to insist there isn’t a approach a Labour authorities would re-join the single market or customs union, and dominated out a deal to re-establish freedom of motion as a “red line” he wouldn’t cross.

Speaking at a Q&A occasion at the Fabian Society convention in London on Saturday, the mayor mentioned it was time to have “the conversation” about significant alignment.

He mentioned re-joining the EU’s financial alliance must be on the desk when the present Brexit deal comes up for assessment in 2025.

“I’m not saying today we should rejoin the European Union. What I’m saying is that [shadow foreign secretary] David Lammy is onto something when he’s saying we should have a closer relationship with the European Union.”

Mr Khan then criticised the “omerta” – a mafia time period for a pact of silence – which suggests “you can’t talk about being close to the European Union, joining the single market, joining the customs union”.

The London mayor mentioned “the economic cost of this extreme hard Brexit is huge”, having commissioned a latest research which discovered that it had already value the UK financial system £140bn.

The damning research by Cambridge Econometrics additionally discovered that Britain’s choice to depart the EU is about to depart Britain’s financial system £311bn worse off by the center of the subsequent decade.

Mr Khan additionally mentioned Rishi Sunak’s authorities is utilizing its Rwanda deportation plan “in the same way they used Brexit – as a deflection of all the problems they’re caused to our country”.

He known as for the Labour get together to “speak up” on the advantages of immigration and variety, fairly than attempt to match the Tories on guarantees to decrease migration ranges.

Meanwhile, Labour’s shadow Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn claimed that the EU will breathe an “audible sigh of relief” if the get together wins the final election later this yr.

The frontbencher touted the advantages of a stronger alliance with the bloc, highlighting each financial and safety advantages amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.

“The EU is a bit tired of negotiating with Britain,” Mr Benn mentioned in a speech on the left-wing suppose tank’s occasion. “And there is no doubt that the arrival of a Labour government, if we win … will be greeted in the EU with a big and audible sigh of relief.

“And I think eventually there is going to be a moment when we look at each other across the Channel and say, ‘You know what, we’re still big and important trading partners, we’re still friends and allies, we are co-operating on foreign policy and security and we need to do more of that … so wouldn’t it make sense to have a closer relationship?’”

Mr Benn added: “And why does this matter so much? Well, clearly it matters economically but there’s something else that is even more important, and that is building alliances in a dangerous world.”

The Labour frontbencher pointed to conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, tensions over Taiwan, the specter of local weather change and the danger of a second Donald Trump presidency.

“We should come together with those who share our common values to defend those values in the face of these threats,” he concluded. “The best way to protect your sovereignty is to work with others.”

Sir Keir has promised to hunt a brand new veterinary settlement with the EU to align some stands in a bid to ease present commerce friction.

The Labour chief has additionally made obscure pledge to look at the present Brexit commerce deal when it comes up for assessment in 2025 with a view to creating it “better”.