Labour rebels risk throwing Britain’s borders open to Europe by advocating for EU customs union membership, senior party sources have claimed.
Allies of Keir Starmer have warned Brussels would almost certainly demand the restoration of free movement in exchange for such an arrangement.
They accuse those advocating rapprochement with the EU of “performative” politics that fail to consider the consequences.
While the Prime Minister has embarked on a “reset” with the bloc, those close to him are said to be frustrated by colleagues publicly discussing what would amount to a reversal of Brexit.
David Lammy, Peter Kyle and Wes Streeting have all suggested that the Prime Minister should consider rejoining the customs union, arguing it would deliver economic benefits.
The Business Secretary has been particularly forthright, stating it would be “crazy not to engage with the prospect of a customs union.”
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary who has been mentioned as a potential leadership challenger, previously called for a “deeper trading relationship” with Brussels. However, he maintained that any new arrangement “can’t lead to a return to freedom of movement”.
Mr Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, has highlighted the advantages of customs union deals secured by other nations.
Even Rachel Reeves has recently claimed that “Brexit has not been good for our country” and that “we should absolutely align” with the EU.
In the wake of these comments, a Whitehall source has cautioned that the advocacy would inevitably cross Government “red lines”.
“The EU would probably want freedom of movement in return for a customs union, and both are red lines for the government.
“People pushing for this have clearly not thought it through,” the insider slammed.
Officials have also warned that rejoining the customs union would require Britain to abandon its post-Brexit trade agreements.
“This kind of performative politics is not going to serve the country, nor is it the political genius its proponents think it is,” a senior party source told The Telegraph.
The coming week represents a pivotal moment for the Prime Minister’s efforts to reset relations with Brussels.
Ministers are scheduled to meet EU officials for crunch talks on food and drink standards, a youth mobility scheme, and defence cooperation.
Following her glowimg comments, the Chancellor is also expected to use her annual Mais lecture to emphasise the advantages of closer alignment with the European Union.
Even still, EU officials have seemingly grown exasperated by internal Cabinet disagreements over the customs union.
“Call me when the UK has figured out what it wants. In the meantime, we’re trying to figure out some more pressing stuff,” one diplomat sniped.
“There were times when we had to respond to every twist and turn in Westminster politics. No longer.”
A European source warned Britain would be unlikely to secure the same terms it enjoyed as a member state, and could face a 20 per cent increase in domestic food prices.
During the years when Britain was part of the EU’s free movement system, migration from Europe rose sharply.
By the early 2010s, hundreds of thousands of EU citizens were arriving each year, with around 75,000 moving to the UK annually for work alone by 2020.
By the time of the 2021 census, roughly 4 million people living in the UK had been born in EU countries, accounting for about 6 per cent of the population and more than a third of all foreign-born residents.
