"Starmer must now feel a sense of deja vu watching Wes Streeting, the most out-and-out pretender for the leadership, follow a similar playbook. In an interview over the weekend, the health secretary strayed from the official government line to call for a deeper trading relationship with the EU. Speaking to the Observer, Streeting implied that joining a customs union with Europe would give Labour a distinctive message with which to take on Nigel Farage at the next general election."
"To many Westminster observers, the obvious point is that like Starmer's intervention in 2018, Streeting's remarks align him with the Labour members and voters who overwhelmingly support stronger ties with Europe. Polling by YouGov published this weekend suggested that 80% of those who backed Labour in 2024 support negotiating a customs union deal with the EU. Seventy-three per cent backed talks to rejoin the EU entirely."
Wes Streeting urged a deeper trading relationship with the EU, including exploring a customs union. He suggested that joining a customs union would give Labour a distinctive message to counter Nigel Farage at the next general election. YouGov polling showed that 80% of those who backed Labour in 2024 support negotiating a customs union and 73% back talks to rejoin the EU entirely. A growing group of Labour MPs and some senior cabinet ministers view the government's promised reset of EU relations as unambitious and argue that closer ties could be a gamechanger for economic growth. David Lammy signaled similar support for customs union alignment.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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