- The Tories have criticised Labour for making the EU their main concern
LONDON: Labour has come under fire from the Conservatives after David Lammy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary and a close ally of Sir Keir Starmer, declared that the EU would be the top priority for his party if they came to power.
Mr Lammy, who campaigned with Sir Keir to overturn the Brexit vote, vowed that a Labour government would change the UK-EU relationship and move away from the current Government’s stance.
He praised Sir Keir’s rapport with EU diplomats, saying it was “like honey on toast”, in contrast to the Tory leaders’ isolationist attitudes. He told the i newspaper that he was so confident that his pro-EU position would appeal to the voters that the Conservatives might have to reconsider their own Brexit policy. He also did not rule out rejoining the EU in the future, implying that it could happen if there was a cross-party agreement.
He said: “My sense is that Europe would demand one, Britain would have to demonstrate that. So I don’t see that over the next political cycle.”
He said: “The European Union is our number-one priority. It’s our number-one priority because it’s our backyard.
“It’s our number-one priority because there is war in Europe and because I believe our future prosperity and security is predicated on good relationships with our European partners.”
Mr Lammy pledged there would be “a tonal shift under a change of government with our neighbours in Europe” if they win the election next year.
He also pledged the party will hold regular talks with the bloc, around every four months “to discuss the issues that matter to both parties. We need to get back to that”.
