A “better deal” with the EU would help to ease the cost of living crisis, Rachel Reeves has suggested after Labour insisted it will not diverge from Brussels rules if it wins power.
Sir Keir Starmer, the opposition leader, told a Left-wing audience in Canada that he would improve relations with the bloc by sticking to its standards on food and the environment.
Ms Reeves, the shadow chancellor, insisted Labour “accept the result of the referendum” but added: “The truth is the deal that Boris Johnson secured three years ago is not good enough, and we have seen a decline in trade between the UK and our European neighbours which pushes up prices and it’s bad for businesses.”
She added: “Because we’re committed to high standards, particularly around workers’ rights, environmental protections and food standards, we believe that we can get a better deal than what we’ve got today.
“And that will be good for UK consumers who’ve seen prices rise and rise and rise, and it will be good for businesses as it will be easier to trade.”
It came as Labour vowed to legally bind ministers to consult their official watchdog on major tax and spending changes to prevent a recurrence of Liz Truss’s ill-fated mini-budget.
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