UK on path to deeper EU relationship, says Reeves

Exclusive 'We can do more. We can get a better deal,' says chancellor ahead of UK-EU summit

- Jessica Elgot Kiran Stacey

The UK-EU summit is a "step towards" a deeper and ongoing partnership with Europe, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said, saying any deal struck next week would not be a "one-off".

In an interview with the Guardian, Reeves suggested the government was looking for closer ties with Europe beyond what was on the table this coming Monday, adding that "there will be future areas in which we can do more".

She said the government would show there had been a decisive break with the ideological Brexit battles of the past, adding "there is a lot of room for improvement" for ways to trade with the bloc.

Asked if the UK had raised its future sights beyond fixes set out in the Labour manifesto, such as a veterinary deal, Reeves said there would always be the red lines of no single market, customs union or a return to free movement, but suggested there was still more that could be done.

"This isn't a one-off. There will be things that we achieve, some concrete outcomes on Monday, but there will also be a step towards where we want to go next between our countries.

"I see that as a journey, not that what happens on Monday is the end, there will be future areas that we can do more," she said. "We think that because of the trust we built, we can get a better deal. The European Union have understood from the beginning those red lines. I am ambitious for our future."