Labour on Friday denied Tory claims that it was plotting to re-enter the European Union but said it would not retreat on the bloc’s standards in key areas including the environment.
Government ministers are claiming that a clip of Sir Keir Starmer - telling other centre-left leaders in Canada that “we don’t want to diverge” from EU rules - is proof that a Labour government would reverse Brexit.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “We don’t want to rejoin the EU in name or any other way. We accept the result of the referendum. That’s more than seven years ago now, and times have moved on.
“But we do want to have a better relationship with our nearest neighbours and trading partners,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“Even Rishi Sunak has accepted that is possible by re-entering the Horizon research programme between UK universities and European universities.”
Ms Reeves said that Labour would build on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal - which is up for review in 2025 - in areas such as trade in agricultural goods and mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
“It shouldn’t come as a surprise to people that an incoming Labour government doesn’t want to dilute workers rights, environmental protections or food standards,” she said.
“But because we want those high standards, we think it is easier for an incoming Labour government to get a better deal with the EU to improve trading relations, because the truth is the deal that Boris Johnson secured three years ago is not good enough.
“And we have seen a decline in trade between the UK and our European neighbours.”
Despite the evidence of trading data, the Government refuses to accept an economic hit from Brexit in recent years, arguing the pandemic and war in Ukraine have been bigger factors.
Farming minister Mark Spencer told GB News: “We’re doing business with our friends in the EU all the time.
“That’s why the Prime Minister was able to negotiate the Windsor Framework to sort out the challenges of Northern Ireland because he was able to have those conversations with our friends in the EU.
“But we’re not going to be ruled by them. We’re not going to accept their rules,” he said, accusing Sir Keir of “flip-flopping” - while defending Mr Sunak’s U-turn this week on net zero plans.
