SNP challenge Labour to back the single market

A Fife MP has challenged Labour to give their full backing to staying in the European single market.

The SNP’s Peter Grant, the new spokesman for Europe, said the position of Jeremy Corbyn’s party on Brexit risks causing major economic damage.

He accused Labour of taking a similar position to the Tories on the single market, which he says prioritises cutting immigration over free trade. Mr Grant said: “It is time for Labour to stop following the Tories down the dangerous path of leaving the single market and customs union which will cost Scotland as many as 80,000 jobs.

“The SNP has been unequivocal in our support of single market membership, ideally for the whole of the UK, alternatively as a differentiated deal for Scotland.”

Mr Grant’s call comes after 50 Labour politicians wrote to Jeremy Corbyn calling on him to fight “unambiguously for membership of the single market”.

The letter states that Labour “should not throw in the towel as May has done, but could seek membership with reforms on immigration and the other matters we seek”. Jon Trickett, the shadow cabinet office secretary, said Labour prioritises having access to the tariff-free arrangements in the customs union and single market.

Asked whether it was Labour’s policy to remain in the single market, Mr Trickett said: “Our policy is to secure all of the rights which exist and tariff-free access within the single market and the customs union. We are not saying that their particular institutional form is something we’re going to wed ourselves to at this stage, but let’s see where the negotiations go.”