A Cabinet minister has kept the door ajar to Labour backing the UK rejoining the European Union at the next general election.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle did not undermine the Government’s current stance of ruling out going back into the Single Market or Customs Union.
But he said: “Right now we have the policy that is right for the moment.”
His carefully chosen words left open the possibility of Labour changing its position ahead of the next general election, expected in 2029, as it seeks to stop voters deserting the party for the Greens or Liberal Democrats.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has electrified the European debate within Labour by becoming the most senior figure in the party to publicly support rejoining the EU.
Mr Kyle’s language has similarities with that used by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy who argued in December that rejoining the EU’s Customs Union was “not currently our policy”.
The Justice Secretary and Tottenham MP stressed then that it was “self-evident” that Brexit had damaged the British economy, pointing to how Turkey had boosted its growth with closer ties with the European bloc.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, has also suggested he favours the idea of a customs union with the EU, a move backed by dozens of Labour MPs including at least six in London.
Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan recently said she was an “absolute Euro-enthusiast”.
Asked if he would support calls to rejoin the EU, Mr Kyle told LBC Radio: “I think right now we have the policy that is right for the moment we’re in: make sure we have the reset, that we explore all the opportunities we have with the EU, with the US, and also looking at the additional trade deals we’ve got around the world.
“Rather than plunging ourselves into a very long, protracted debate about rejoining we need to be looking at all of the incredible opportunities there are out there for partnerships around the world, both multilaterally and bilaterally, country-to-country.”
The MP for Hove and Portslade stressed he wanted to “focus on those deals that will deliver short-term, immediate growth into our economy”, like the US tech deal, which he claimed unlocked $300 billion (£224 billion) worth of trade.
If Labour decided to campaign to go back into the EU it would be a breach of its 2024 election manifesto which stated: “There will be no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement.”
However, the economic damage from Brexit has become increasingly clear, with even Reform UK leader Nigel Farage admitting it has failed and blaming the Conservatives for not properly delivering it.
The Office for Budget Responsibility says quitting the EU has dealt a multi-billion pound blow to the UK economy, meaning less funding for public services such as schools and hospitals.
The Conservatives, though, are warning that Labour wants to re-fight the “Brexit wars”.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said: “The Government is leaving the backdoor to rejoin the EU wide open.
“The reality is, going back into the European Union will undermine Britain’s hard-won freedoms and eviscerate public trust in the democratic process, all while expecting hard-working taxpayers to finance this.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has set out plans to follow more of the EU’s rules, saying closer alignment would help bring down prices and inflation.
She warned the UK risked being “stranded” between rival trading blocs unless it forged closer ties with Brussels, and said the UK’s fate as a country was “inescapably bound with that of Europe”.
The UK and EU plan to meet in the summer to agree deals on shared food standards, carbon emissions, and youth mobility, as part of the Government’s attempted “reset” with Brussels.
