Osborne urges UK to rejoin EU customs union to revive trade
Former chancellor George Osborne says closer customs ties with the European Union could support trade and investment, but the proposal is not presented as government policy.
Former UK chancellor George Osborne has called for Britain to rejoin the European Union’s customs union, arguing that Brexit has damaged the economy and weakened trade with Europe.
Speaking in comments reported by The Guardian Politics, Osborne described Brexit as “a mess” and said Britain was poorer than it would otherwise have been. He argued that rebuilding links with the EU should be part of efforts to address the country’s growth problem.
Osborne said customs-union membership would be a relatively simple way to revive trade with the continent and attract investment. The proposal concerns goods trade and customs arrangements, rather than full membership of the European Union.
He also said joining the customs union would not require the UK to accept free movement of people, which he distinguished from rejoining the single market. That was Osborne’s characterisation of the policy’s implications; the supplied material does not examine broader legal or negotiating details.
Osborne, who resigned as chancellor after the 2016 Brexit referendum, suggested Andy Burnham would have grounds to support the proposal. The material does not establish support from Burnham, the Labour Party or the UK government.
