Labour willing to bend UK to EU rules in return for Brexit food deal
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Labour is willing to sign Britain up to following EU rules in return for a deal that would reduce post-Brexit checks on food, David Lammy has suggested.
“It’s mistaken to think that after such a messy divorce, it is possible to propose marriage again, even before two ex-partners have gone on a date.”
He said that Labour would go through the Brexit trade deal “page by page, seeking ways to remove barriers and improve opportunities for business”.
He was also asked about the party’s plans for a veterinary agreement, which it has pledged to prioritise to reduce checks for food producers.
The Government has twice asked for a deal like the one New Zealand has with the bloc, that would see the UK and EU voluntarily acknowledge each other’s standards as equal.
Pressed on whether Labour would ultimately end up accepting the EU’s demands, Mr Lammy replied: “It seems to me that if New Zealand and Switzerland can broker such deals, we can as well.
“We’re not naive that any negotiation involves trade-offs and discussions. But we do think, on a whole range of areas, it’s not our desire in the Labour Party to reduce standards and therefore a veterinary deal is something that we can achieve.”
Mr Lammy said that rising interest rates and inflation, plus a post-Brexit drop in exports, meant that the public was on board with the need for change.
“When I say that it is our number one priority to fix our relationship with the European Union, I think the British people support that,” he said.
“I think people in the UK recognise because they’re feeling it in their pocket, that we do need to have a total shift and a reset within our relationships.”
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