Overview
- Keir Starmer told MPs the customs union and single market remain off limits, saying closer ties will be pursued only within those constraints.
- Deputy prime minister David Lammy said Brexit had badly damaged the economy and cited countries benefiting from customs unions, but his spokesman reiterated Labour’s red lines.
- Baroness Minouche Shafik privately urged considering rejoining the customs union before the budget, according to reports, but the idea was rejected by No 10.
- Talks for the UK to join the EU’s SAFE rearmament scheme collapsed over how much Britain would pay, underscoring limits to quick deals with Brussels.
- EU diplomats say bandwidth in Brussels is limited and progress will be slow, as UK ministers work on a spring package aligning on areas such as food standards, carbon rules and power trading alongside a youth mobility scheme.