Overview
- Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said it is not current policy to re-enter an EU customs union but refused to rule it out, arguing countries such as Turkey have benefited from similar arrangements.
- Keir Starmer and Downing Street reiterated Labour’s manifesto commitments, stressing no return to the customs union, single market or freedom of movement as the government pursues a closer-but-limited relationship with Brussels.
- Darren Jones told MPs that any change in approach would be set out in Parliament rather than on podcasts, underscoring internal messaging discipline after Lammy’s remarks.
- UK–EU ‘reset’ efforts continue with constrained progress, highlighted by the collapse of talks on the EU SAFE rearmament scheme and assessments that technical deals would deliver only modest long-run GDP gains.
- Reports say chief economic adviser Minouche Shafik privately urged exploring a customs union before the Budget, as new Savanta polling finds two-thirds of recent Labour voters prefer that option over raising taxes.