As the prime minister grapples with the US trade tariffs, trade unions and business groups are pushing him to negotiate closer ties with the EU

Summary

Keir Starmer faces growing pressure from Labour’s key financial backers, trade unions, and business leaders to forge closer UK-EU ties after Trump’s new tariffs sparked economic concerns.

The U.S. imposed a 10% tariff on the UK and 25% on key sectors, endangering 25,000 UK car jobs.

A TUC poll shows 66% of Britons now support stronger EU ties. Labour MPs and pro-EU groups argue Starmer’s Brexit red lines are outdated.

Critics warn ignoring EU alignment risks deeper economic damage.

  • Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    71·
    11 days ago

    Any significantly stronger ties required Freedom Of Movement (basically to be inside the Single Market, even as a non-EU-member, means having all rules necessary for it to be a free and open market, which includes Freedom Of Movement), which was one of the main reasons the Brexiters won - like in the US now, Britain’s very own rise of the Far-Right by taking over their mainstream conservative party some years ago was also mainly anchored on racism.

    I’m quite curious how many of those 66% of Britons would still be alright with stronger EU ties if that meant that Poles could once again immigrate to Britain at will.

    • huppakee@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      10 days ago

      The percentage of Brits that voted leave was much smaller than 66, but besides that a lot of them feel lied to, because none of the promises the leave campaign made were held up. For example when it comes to foreign workers, there was a huge shortage of lorry drivers and medical staff after Brexit because most of the eastern-Europeans left the country. So to mitigate that problem there are now a lot of south-east Asians and Nigerians immigrants doing those jobs and so the Britons that voted leave now live in a country with more immigrants rather than less. Thats not the only reason leave voters are disappointed, and I believe the fear of immigrants moving in is now much smaller than the fear of isolation and impoverishment.

      Also the conservatives have lost a lot of credibility (and votes) because of how they got Brexit done, and the far-right lost a lot of credibility (and votes) because of their ties with Trump and Putin.

      Polls show a serious majority wanting closer ties with the EU, militarily and economically.