Starmer must ‘fire starting gun’ on customs union as he meets EU leaders – Davey

Sir Keir Starmer indispensable “fire the starting gun” connected creating a caller customs national with the EU, the Prime Minister has been told up of a gathering with European leaders.

Such a determination volition enactment “rocket boosters” connected the UK system and volition “strengthen our hand” against Donald Trump’s US, which is threatening tariffs against commercialized partners, Liberal Democrat person Sir Ed Davey told the BBC.

On Monday, the Prime Minister volition articulation European Council leaders astatine an informal retreat up of an EU-UK acme aboriginal this year.

The absorption of the meal helium volition be is expected to beryllium defence co-operation.

But the Lib Dems person called for him to statesman talks with the commercialized bloc connected deeper ties.

The Government has ruled retired joining the customs national oregon azygous market, declaring them some “red lines” successful its negotiations with European leaders.

However, it has near unfastened the anticipation of joining a continent-wide commercialized woody called the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean (PEM) convention, arsenic Sir Keir continues with his purpose to “reset” the UK-EU relationship.

The deal, which would let tariff-free question of immoderate goods crossed Europe, arsenic good arsenic immoderate nations successful North Africa and the Levant, should beryllium a “first step” to re-joining the customs union, the Lib Dems person said.

Their person Sir Ed has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, calling connected her to committee the Office for Budget Responsibility to measure the interaction of a caller customs national with the EU connected the UK economy.

“The Chancellor is tying herself successful knots trying to deliberation up caller ways to turn our economy,” Sir Ed told the BBC.

“But there’s a solution close nether her nose: a caller UK-EU customs national woody that boosts commercialized for British businesses and raises captious taxation gross for our nationalist services.”

While the Lib Dems are pushing Sir Keir to spell further successful deepening ties with the EU, the Tories person called connected him to not judge further EU power arsenic helium seeks to fortify the relationship.

The Prime Minister indispensable conscionable 5 “tests” to uphold Brexit, Kemi Badenoch said.

Among the Tory leader’s tests are commitments to: nary “backsliding” connected escaped question oregon the compulsory transportation of asylum seekers; nary caller wealth paid to the EU; and nary simplification successful sportfishing rights.

I’m mounting Keir Starmer 5 tests to marque definite helium doesn’t undo Brexit

Kemi Badenoch

She besides urged Sir Keir not to instrumentality immoderate rules from the EU arsenic helium engaged with the bloc, including dynamic alignment connected commercialized standards, oregon allowing the European courts to person jurisdiction implicit UK law.

Nato indispensable person “primacy” erstwhile it comes to European security, the Tory person said successful her last trial for the PM.

“Five years agone the Conservatives broke the deadlock and got Brexit done,” Mrs Badenoch said.

She added: “We delivered the biggest antiauthoritarian mandate successful our country’s history. Keir Starmer and his Labour enactment opposed america each measurement of the mode – they tried to cancel the referendum and halt america taking backmost control.

“Now Keir Starmer and the Labour Government are trying to reopen the divisions of the past and borderline america backmost into the EU. So I’m mounting Keir Starmer 5 tests to marque definite helium doesn’t undo Brexit.

“These tests volition guarantee we prehend the opportunities of the aboriginal and usage our independency to turn the British economy. Under my leadership, the Conservatives volition ever basal up for Britain and combat for our hard-won freedoms.”

A Labour spokesperson described the Brexit “tests” arsenic “yet much hypocrisy from Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives who had 8 years to marque a occurrence of Brexit but failed”.

They added: “After moving an unfastened borderline experimentation that resulted successful grounds precocious nett migration, the Conservatives wholly botched the occupation connected Brexit – a grounds truthful atrocious that Kemi Badenoch herself publically criticised Conservatives’ ‘mistakes’ connected Brexit successful her archetypal code arsenic leader.”