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REINO UNIDO Rachel Reeves urged a renewed path for the UK toward the European Union
The former British chancellor said Brexit left the country weaker and backed Andy Burnham’s push for a closer relationship with the bloc. Her comments come ahead of a UK-EU summit later this month.
Rachel Reeves said the United Kingdom’s future should be inside the European Union and argued that Brexit made the country poorer, weaker and less secure, according to reporting by The Guardian World and POLITICO Europe based on an article she wrote in the Sunday Times.
Reeves, who left the Treasury when Andy Burnham entered Downing Street, backed the prime minister’s leadership in confronting the debate over Britain’s relationship with Europe. She argued that those who support re-entry must make the case to the public, show clear benefits and get the next steps right.
Burnham has been pushing for a broader discussion on Brexit. The Guardian World reported that he said there should be an honest conversation about free movement and that rejoining the single market could happen without another referendum if Labour put it in its manifesto. Full re-entry into the European Union, however, would require another vote.
POLITICO Europe also reported that Reeves hopes a leaders’ summit later this month will at least confirm a youth mobility scheme she has been advocating. The Guardian World said current negotiations are aimed at sealing an agreement to ease some trade restrictions and also move forward on a youth mobility arrangement.
According to The Guardian World, Burnham warned ministers not to publicly air their own views on how the government should approach Brexit, amid reports of cabinet concerns over the migration impact of a revised deal with Brussels. The same outlet said the government’s plan starts with changes that fit within Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which pledged to remain outside the EU customs union and single market and not restore free movement, while any more substantial shift would wait until after the next election.
Before leaving the Treasury, Reeves had already argued that Brexit damaged the British economy and its ability to grow. In a lecture cited by The Guardian World, she also said leaving the bloc had created uncertainty and new barriers to trade.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
