Monday, April 07, 2025
Starmer under pressure for Brexit reset
The paper says that Trade unions, who were previously divided over Brexit and still provide more than half of Labour’s campaign funding, are now at the forefront of a new push for much closer ties with the EU:
Armed with a survey by pollster Peter McLeod – who has carried out research for Labour and the unions – the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has joined with business groups and others to urge Sir Keir to rethink his Brexit red lines.
While the prime minister has insisted he will resist what he calls “a false choice” between the EU and US, the TUC’s public demands are being reflected in private by many in Labour as well.
It follows President Trump imposing a 10 per cent base “reciprocal tariff” on the UK, half of the 20 per cent slapped on the EU. Other countries such as China, South Korea, Japan and Cambodia face tariffs of more than 30 per cent.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak told The Independent: “The British public agree – they overwhelmingly back a common-sense reset. The Conservatives’ botched Brexit agreement has set workers and business back, at home and abroad.
“It’s time for a new approach that honours the referendum result while giving us a much-needed closer trading relationship with the EU.”
The survey of 5,000 voters for the TUC by Mr McLeod revealed that 66 per cent now want closer ties with the EU.
Even some supporters of pro-Brexit parties want closer ties with the EU – Reform (former Brexit Party) voters now back closer ties with Brussels by 42 per cent to 41 per cent, while Tory voters overwhelmingly back closer ties by 67 per cent to 21 per cent.
The polling also showed that eight in 10 Conservative to Labour switchers at the 2024 general election, and more than half (56 per cent) of Reform-leaning voters (who voted Labour in 2024 but would now vote Reform) support a closer UK-EU relationship. Only 28 per cent opposed closer ties.
Mr McLeod said: "The new poll confirms that what we heard from those voters also holds nationally by a very strong margin.
"The focus groups help explain why a lot of people feel this way. The dominant view was that Brexit has not been a success and that it would be sensible to try for a better deal. Some of the Leave voters in our groups expressly said that their votes had been a mistake.”
Labour MPs are also demanding that the Brexit reset talks set to conclude in a month are made much more ambitious.
The Liberal Democrats are absolutely right to be pushing this.The best way to stand up to Trump is to work with our allies in the EU. Now is the time to start re-establishing those relationships.
