Streeting says growth lies in closer trade ties with EU

Streeting urged closer economic relations with the EU but ruled out areturn to freedom of movement

- Rowena Mason Whitehall editor

A deeper trading relationship with the EU would be the best way of growing Britain’s economy, which has an “uncomfortable” level of tax, Wes Streeting has said.

The health secretary said it would not be possible for any partnership with the EU to “return to freedom of movement”, but his comments appeared to leave the door open to the idea of a customs union.

His remarks on the EU appear to go further than the government’s position, which has ruled out a customs union as it seeks deeper trading relations with Brussels. Some in the cabinet would like No 10 to go further in its ambitions in order to improve the UK economy.

Streeting spoke out about the EU, the economy and his own ambitions in a wide-ranging interview with the Observer, while stressing that he was not after Keir Starmer’s job.

He said a deeper economic partnership with Europe would be the best way of increasing growth, and suggested he would like to go further than the current reset with the EU, which he described as a “good start”.