“Labour is right to support a joint UK-EU customs union, which is necessary to avoid a hard border in Ireland and eliminate costly rules of origin checks for business. If negotiated correctly, a customs union would allow the UK to benefit from the EU’s 34 preferential trade deals with more than 50 third countries, giving easier access to a third of the world’s market by value.
As we argued in December, a customs union is a key component of our proposal for a “shared market” between the UK and the EU that prioritises alignment with single market rules, with the option to diverge over time. Only through this broader commitment to single market alignment can the full benefits of the single market be secured.
It is also right that both Labour and the Conservatives have committed to maintaining EU rights, standards and protections. IPPR polling has found widespread support for EU-derived consumer, employment and environmental standards: 73% of the public support retaining or strengthening the Working Time Directive, 84% back keeping or extending consumer cancellation rights, and 74% want to maintain or increase renewable energy targets.”
