Overview
- Dan Carden says Labour must keep its 2024 pledge of no return to the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement.
- He argues reports of senior figures exploring a customs union risk breaking a solemn promise to voters.
- Carden cites comments from Andy Burnham about rejoining the EU in his lifetime and from Wes Streeting favoring deeper EU trade ties as signs of a drift toward Brussels.
- He contends a customs union would sacrifice post‑Brexit trade opportunities, including deals he says involve growth markets such as the United States and India.
- Calling for renewal through domestic reform, he urges Starmer to embrace Brexit freedoms, strengthen education and apprenticeships, and rule out any arrangement resembling a customs union.