British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that his country should engage more closely with the European Union’s single market when it is in the national interest, writes Reuters.
Starmer noted that relations between Britain and the EU are the strongest in the last decade. In 2016, the British voted to leave the bloc, on the 31st of January, 2020, Britain officially left the EU. This was followed by a transition period lasting almost a year, and on the 24th of December, 2020, the British and the EU agreed on a comprehensive free trade agreement. Now Starmer has said that it is necessary to get even closer if it is in the national interest of Britain.
London and Brussels agreed in December to allow British students to return to the Erasmus exchange programme from 2027, and have also begun talks on unifying the electricity market and a food trade deal. Starmer stressed that the issues must be addressed sequentially and one area at a time. “What I am saying is, there are other areas where we should consider whether it’s in our interest to do the same and align with the single market,” the British prime minister said.
The opposition Conservatives, who were in power during the Brexit referendum and Brexit, have said that
the Labour Party’s betrayal of Brexit is becoming more and more apparent by the day.
Conservative spokesperson Priti Patel said Starmer’s desire to join the single market is a desperate attempt to satisfy supporters, and thus gives away the country’s freedom to conclude trade agreements and create regulations on its own.
The British Prime Minister has indicated that he intends to stay in office despite political speculation and the party’s not-so-glowing ratings. Just 18 months after a landslide victory in the general election, Labour is now trailing the populist Reform Party in the polls. Asked whether he might resign if the party performs poorly in the local elections due in May, Starmer said he would stay in office.
The politician pointed out that the previous government had seen a constant change of leadership and chaos, which was the reason why the Conservatives lost the election, and no one wants such chaos to happen again.
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