Chancellor says stronger alignment with Europe is ‘biggest prize’ for trade and economic growth
Rachel Reeves has insisted Labour can win the political argument for a closer relationship with the EU, calling it the “biggest prize” for UK economic growth.
Some Labour strategists have been wary of making the case for stronger alignment with the EU, believing it could alienate pro-Brexit voters.
But Reeves said on Wednesday: “I am confident this is a political argument, as well, that we can win.” She pointed to the recent agreement to rejoin the Erasmus student exchange scheme, calling it “one of the most popular things that we’ve done.”
Underlining the overriding importance of EU trade for the health of the UK economy, because of the bloc’s close geographical proximity, she said: “Economic gravity is reality, and almost half of our trade is the EU.”
