Portrait of Rachel Reeves
Politician · concept
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Rachel Reeves on Brexit

Advocates closer EU ties (strong)

TL;DR

Rachel Reeves views Brexit as damaging to the UK economy, advocating for deeper trade integration with Europe as the biggest economic prize.

Key Points

  • She has explicitly blamed the Conservative party for backing Brexit and making wrong economic choices that have held back the UK economy.

  • Reeves is seeking deeper integration with the EU at a sectoral level, viewing this as the most significant prize for UK economic growth due to geographical proximity.

  • Despite campaigning for a second referendum previously, she has ruled out rejoining the EU's customs union or single market as per the party's manifesto commitments.

Summary

Rachel Reeves, as Chancellor, has intensified her criticism of Brexit, asserting that it has acted to cut the UK off from its closest trading partners, resulting in negative economic consequences. She frames closer alignment with the European Union as the single most significant opportunity for boosting UK economic growth, citing the geographical reality that almost half of all UK trade is with the bloc. Reeves has stated she is confident Labour can win the political argument for a stronger relationship with the EU, despite past electoral sensitivities surrounding the issue, and points to rejoining schemes like Erasmus as popular first steps.

Her current stance signals a commitment to go beyond the general ‘reset’ in UK-EU relations, seeking sectoral alignment on regulations and standards where necessary, though she maintains the manifesto red line of not rejoining the customs union or the single market. While acknowledging the political shift in public opinion, she directly blames the previous Conservative government for backing Brexit and supporting economic choices that have hampered the nation's performance. She insists that while other global deals are pursued, no partner offers the scale of economic benefit that improved trade relations with Europe can provide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rachel Reeves's position is that Brexit has negatively impacted the UK economy by erecting trade barriers with its nearest partners. She strongly advocates for a 'reset' and deeper integration with the European Union to unlock the biggest economic benefits. However, she maintains the Labour commitment not to rejoin the Single Market or Customs Union.

Yes, her stance has evolved from actively campaigning against leaving the EU before the referendum to her current position. Now, she focuses on pragmatic steps to improve trade ties, while still rejecting the outcome of the 2016 vote as economically damaging. She is pushing for more alignment than the current government has achieved.

The Chancellor has described the economic damage caused by Brexit as forcing her to take action in the budget, referencing official forecasts of reduced trade intensity and lower GDP. She uses these economic headwinds to argue for strengthening alliances with European partners to boost growth.