Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Labour wants a customs union
Plan for ‘new relationship’ with Europe
JEREMY Corbyn will today outline plans for Britain to enjoy tariff-free access to the EU single market, while curbing migration.
The Labour leader will back a customs union between the UK and Brussels, Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer confirmed yesterday.
Speaking in Coventry, Mr Corbyn will call for a “new, strong relationship”, with single market rules but with “protections, clarifications or exemptions”.
That would include free movement – an issue which helped fuel the Leave vote in the referendum. Revealing his blueprint, Mr Corbyn will say: “Labour would negotiate a new and strong relationship with the single market that includes full tarifffree access and a floor under existing rights, standards and protections.”
Rejecting outright membership of the single market, he will add: “We cannot be held back from taking the steps we need to support cuttingedge industries and local business, stop the tide of privatisation and outsourcing, or prevent employers being able to import cheap agency labour from abroad to undercut existing pay and conditions.”
Revealing the plan, Sir Keir told the BBC: “I have long championed a customs union with the EU and the benefit of that.”
He warned Theresa May it was “crunch time” after she ruled out calls from Tory rebels for a customs union. Labour’s plan to side with them means the PM could face a Commons defeat that may topple her.
Sir Keir added: “The majority in Parliament does not back her approach to a customs union.”
Leave-backing Tories urged rebels not to derail the PM’S Brexit plans.
Former leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “I say to my colleagues, be very careful on this one because you’re being invited into a Labour Party tactical game which will actually end up in real damage to the UK.”