LONDON — Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer says Labour will call on Monday for the UK to be in a customs union with the EU once it leaves, a move which would smooth the Irish border issue but limit Britain's ability to strike its own free trade deals with other countries.
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Labour confirms it wants a new customs union with the EU after Brexit
Kier Starmer said being in a customs union with the EU was neccessary to secure tariff-free access once it leaves the bloc.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Labour's Brexit secretary Kier Starmer said being in a customs union with the EU was neccessary to secure tariff-free access to the EU once it leaves the bloc.
"We’ve long championed being in a customs union with the EU and the benefits of that," he said.
"It’s the only way to get tariff-free access, it’s really important for our manufacturing base, and nobody can answer your question of how you keep your commitment to [having] no hard border in Northern Ireland without a customs union.
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Starmer indicated that Labour would support amendments to a key Brexit bill tabled by rebel Tory MPs Anna Soubry and Ken Clarke which puts customs membership back on the table.
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