Weak Starmer has been forced into an unthinkable betrayal

After his failure as shadow Brexit secretary to secure a second referendum in 2019, it was little wonder that Sir Keir Starmer lacked any appetite to reopen old wounds five years later.

In a speech on the campaign trail in June 2024, just under two weeks before he swept to power, Sir Keir warned any revival of the Brexit debate would only bring “turmoil” and “uncertainty” into politics.

But more than 18 months into his turbulent tenure, the now-Prime Minister is facing growing pressure from inside his own ranks to shift his position on Europe.

The Labour manifesto of 2024 promised that Britain would stay outside the European Union, before going on to draw three more red lines by stating: “There will be no return to the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement.”

Downing Street insists these red lines are still in place. But the fact it has to do so at all speaks volumes about where Sir Keir and his Government have ended up.

The Prime Minister has become notorious for his about-turns, and many will ask whether pro-European pressure from his backbenchers may eventually force another change of heart.

In a “reset” deal with Brussels in May last year, Sir Keir surrendered access to British fishing waters for 12 years while agreeing to rejoin the Erasmus student exchange scheme.

Sir Keir used his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday to declare that the reset in itself was not enough and that he wanted to move closer still to the trade bloc.

Arguing that it was time to “look again” at British ties to Brussels, Sir Keir said: “This includes looking again at closer economic alignment.

“We are already aligned with the single market in some areas, to drive down the prices of food and energy… We must look at where we could move closer to the single market in other sectors as well, where that would work for both sides.”

Sir Keir went on to accept there would be “trade-offs” and even suggested he was prepared to accept political pain to change the “status quo” of the UK-EU relationship.

He continued: “We are 10 years on from Brexit – we are not the Britain of the Brexit years. We’re a Britain that wants to work with the EU even more closely in light of the challenge that we face here 10 years on.”

This will be music to the ears of Labour backbenchers who want Sir Keir to go further still and who genuinely believe a more pro-EU agenda can help revive his flailing premiership.

It may have gone under the radar compared to some other Labour factions in recent months but the Labour Movement for Europe is thought to include about 80 Labour MPs and openly states it wants to “see our nation’s future in Europe secured”.

On Saturday, Stella Creasy, the chairman of the pressure group, said cooperation with Europe on trade, defence and climate change had “never been more urgent”.

In a rallying cry to pro-Europe Labour activists, Ms Creasy said: “Our future safety and peace lies in the UK being in the room with those who determine it to ensure British interests are represented.

“Whether the Munich Conference, Nato, or the EU, our national security relies on alliances not isolation. It’s never been more urgent to rebuild our ties with our neighbours on defence, trade, the climate and equality. Join us in the Labour Movement for Europe doing just that.”

While Sir Keir continues to explicitly rule out rejoining the customs union or single market, it seems many of his MPs have yet to get the message – or that they simply do not want to.

At the end of last year, 13 Labour MPs embarrassed the Prime Minister by voting for a Liberal Democrat bill that would force him to begin negotiations on a customs union.

Although she was not one of the baker’s dozen of Europhile rebels, Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central, echoed their calls on Saturday for Sir Keir to go much further on Europe.

Ms Maskell told The Telegraph: “Hopefully, any arrangement being made will be putting us close with the customs union and the single market, and with the options of being part of those at some point in the future.

“Ultimately, we have seen the huge negative impact that Brexit has cost the economy, and a decade of slow growth because we’re not in alignment and trading with the biggest trading partner on our doorstep.”

For Liam Conlon – a member of the 2024 intake who is also the son of Sue Gray, Sir Keir’s former chief of staff – the decade since the Brexit vote has been a “lost decade”.

“Brexit has been a disaster on nearly every level,” Mr Conlon said. “I know there is a lot of support for a realignment with Europe and closer ties with the EU.

“For some MPs, I think they are particularly keen to see increased security cooperation, which is important. For me, the primary driver is economic growth, jobs and support for SMEs [small and medium enterprises].”

And in sharp contrast with the pledge by Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, to restore “order at the border”, Mr Conlon continued: “I am also very open to increasing skilled migration. It’s good for our economy, growth, public services and more.”

Mike Reader, a member of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, added: “An EU reset is really important. The committee has heard it will reduce people’s bills.

“We have to understand this is all about reducing the cost of living for people and improving security.”

Sir Keir did not back a national inquiry into grooming gangs – until he did. Nor was he in favour of mandatory digital ID – until he was; and then he was not again.

The extraordinary events of the past couple of weeks have laid bare the weakness of this Prime Minister’s position. Sir Keir has made no secret of wanting to be closer to Europe. The burning question, as his MPs and grassroots pile on the pressure, is: just how close?

[Source: Daily Telegraph]