Don't rule out EU customs union, TUC boss tells StarmerBBCThe leader of the Trades Union Congress has called for "the closest possible economic and political relationship with the European Union". Speaking to the BBC, the UK's most senior trade unionist, Paul Nowak, said he believed this would be "essential" to boost economic growth and warned that faith in mainstream politics could "drain away" unless living standards improved. Nowak urged the PM not to rule out a customs union with the EU, which he argued would lower barriers to trade with the UK's biggest market. Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants to "reset" relations with Brussels but he has ruled out rejoining the EU's single market, and the customs union. Government must deliver workers' rights bill in full, says TUCThirteen Labour MPs vote for talks on joining EU customs unionThe PM fears that recent deals with the US and India would be scrapped if the UK rejoined. Labour's manifesto ruled out signing up to the existing EU custom union. Recently, senior cabinet ministers such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy have danced along the edges of those red lines, bemoaning what they see as the economic damage of Brexit and extolling the virtues of closer relations. Earlier this month, 13 Labour MPs backed a Liberal Democrat bill requiring the government to begin negotiations on joining a bespoke customs union with the EU. The Conservatives and Reform UK oppose rejoining a customs union, and say it would undermine what they see as the benefits of Brexit. A customs union would eliminate tariffs or taxes on goods between the UK and the EU, reducing bureaucracy. But critics point out that it would also severely curtail the ability of the UK to strike bespoke global trade deals as the EU would place a common tariff on all goods from outside the customs union area, and would expect the UK to conform to common standards. In a BBC interview, Nowak said: "2026 really needs to be the year when the government gets to grips with the cost of living crisis."He said that "one of the reasons we are seeing prices so high in our supermarkets is because of that bad Brexit deal", adding: "Absolutely the government should rule nothing out.
