The SNP has declared that “small steps won’t cut it” when it comes to mending the UK’s fractured relationship with the European Union, insisting that rejoining the EU single market and customs union must be prioritised.
This call comes as Keir Starmer attended an informal EU summit in Brussels, marking the first time a UK Prime Minister has participated in such a summit since Brexit.
The summit was expected to focus heavily on the looming threat of trade tariffs from the new Trump administration, adding urgency to discussions about the UK’s economic future.
SNP Europe spokesperson Stephen Gethins MP welcomed Starmer’s attendance but stressed that symbolic gestures are not enough.
“It is welcome that Keir Starmer is the first UK Prime Minister to attend one of these EU summits since the madness of Brexit, but the welcome symbolism of his attendance is no substitute for substance,” Gethins said.
“When it comes to re-engaging and renewing relationships with the European Union, small steps won’t cut it.
“Returning to the EU single market and the customs union is the only route to recovery and the only pathway to growth – that’s why Keir Starmer must put it on the agenda tonight.”
Gethins argued that reversing the economic damage caused by Brexit is now more critical than ever, particularly in light of potential Trump-era tariffs and rising global protectionism.
“Returning to the single market and customs union is the one manifesto promise he can break which a massive majority of people would actually support,” he added.
“Reversing the damage of Brexit by reintegrating our economy with the EU was already urgent, but it has now become an absolute necessity with the prospect of Trump tariffs.”
Gethins emphasised that membership in the EU single market and customs union would offer the best economic security for both Scotland and the wider UK.
“Being part of, at the very least, the EU single market and the customs unions is the best protection and best security for Scotland and the rest of the UK,” he stated.
He concluded with a pointed message:
“If Labour continues to put a roadblock in the way, the people of Scotland will rightly decide that our interests and our future are best served as an independent European nation.”
As Starmer faces mounting pressure from both domestic and international fronts, the debate over the UK’s future relationship with the EU remains a pivotal issue for the country’s political and economic landscape.