SIR KEIR Starmer says the UK will not rejoin the EU if he becomes Prime Minister after the Tories said Labour might look to.
His comments come after Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch claimed Brexit would be at risk if the Labour leader became Prime Minister in next month’s vote.
She described the June 2016 vote as a “10 or 20-year project” in an interview with the Telegraph newspaper, and claimed any benefits would disappear under a Labour government.
But Sir Keir ruled out re-joining the EU while speaking to reporters during a campaign visit in south London.
He said: “We are not re-joining the EU, we are not re-joining the single market or the customs union.”
Asked if he would ever reconsider that, he added: “No. It isn’t our plan, it never has been, I’ve never said that as leader of the Labour Party and it is not in our manifesto.”
Instead, Sir Keir said he wants a better trade relationship with the EU and “much more collaboration” on a number of issues including research and development, education, and security.
He said: “But I do think we can get a better deal with the EU, and if we are elected to government that is what we will endeavour to do.”
Sir Keir said it was the “nature” of a one-off referendum that only the electorate at the time were able to take part.
He added: “I would also say this, I voted to remain. I campaigned to remain.
“But what that referendum did was to throw politics into turmoil for three years, between 2016 to 2019 our Parliament couldn’t get anything done.
“It caused huge uncertainty and I don’t think returning to that kind of division and uncertainty is actually going to help us rebuild our economy, rebuild our country, grow the wealth and create the wealth that we need, or the secure jobs of the future.”
The Brexit referendum took place eight years ago tomorrow on June 23, 2016.
Speaking to the Telegraph Ms Badenoch countered criticism of the progress made on leaving the EU since then.
She said: “This is a 10 or 20-year project. We’ve just started.
“It’s like building a house and someone comes in and says ‘oh, he’s not done yet, he’s failed’. Or you’re cooking something and, five minutes later, ‘it’s not cooked yet, it’s not working, let’s stop’.”
She claimed the Tories were trying to focus on a strategy of getting benefits from Brexit, adding: “That’s something that’s going to disappear if Labour come in, they will take us backwards.
“They will take us back to square one. They’re just going to copy the EU.”
Other senior Tories had also warned Labour would put Brexit at risk.
Ex-Trade Secretary Liam Fox fears the decision to leave the EU could be at risk if the Tories aren’t re-elected next month.
His intervention came after the shadow Chancellor said she wants to revisit closer ties in sectors such as chemicals and for City of London workers.
The comments appear to go further than previously aired on calling for improved trade terms – despite both parties appearing reluctant to talk about Brexit during the campaign.
Lord Frost, who negotiated the UK’s Brexit deal, said: “You can’t trust Labour on Brexit.”
He added: “I’m happy to deepen ties with any friendly country, whether in the EU or not.
“I don’t want to be governed by them and I don’t want their laws and courts to have force in this country without us having a say. That’s what Labour want.”
KEIR Starmer has insisted “we can’t go back” on Brexit – but has claimed we can “get a better deal with the EU” if he wins the upcoming election.
In a May episode of The Sun’s brilliant politics show Never Mind the Ballots sees Political Editor Harry Cole grill Sir Keir ahead of a crucial election year.
Asked whether he wished we were still in the EU, the Labour leader declined to answer – pointing to the fact he voted remain.
In the show – which you can watch on thesun.co.uk and The Sun’s YouTube channel – Starmer said: “I voted for remain. I wanted us to remain.
“The country voted out and that’s why after the last election in 2019, I voted for the Brexit deal and we are now out. We are not going back in.
“But I think that we all have to recognise that, you know, the economy is not in a good place, public services are not in a good place.”
Sir Keir spent the entire 2017 parliament trying to reverse Brexit.
When he ran as Labour leader in 2020, Sir Keir did not repeat his call for a second referendum on Brexit – but he did endorse freedom of movement.
