London is set to become the first battleground over Labour’s push to undo the damage caused by Brexit, with the likely Tory candidate for mayor Sir James Cleverly saying he is ready to fight plans to rejoin, reports BritPanorama.
With Sir Sadiq Khan focusing on Brexit and renewing his demands for the UK to rejoin at last week’s Labour Party conference, coupled with Andy Burnham signalling that rejoin could be in the next general election manifesto, Sir James insisted he was prepared to present the Tory position of supporting the status quo.
The London mayoral election is approaching in May 2028 and will serve as a precursor for the general election expected in 2029 if Burnham follows through on his promise not to call an early poll.
Sir James, a former foreign secretary, backed a compromise approach during the 2016 referendum, which saw London voting predominantly to remain in the EU. Areas such as Lambeth, Hackney, and Haringey each recorded over 75% support for Remain.
Speaking ahead of the Conservative Party conference, he claimed that any move to rejoin the EU would harm London’s interests. “The UK is the world’s third largest hub for AI development because we have a different regulatory regime to the EU,” he noted, asserting that restrictive EU regulations could stifle the capital’s tech sector.
Sir James labelled Labour’s stance on Brexit as contradictory, highlighting recent comments from John Healey regarding the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as a significant economic shift. He argued, “So, if we were to rejoin the EU, we would have to tear it up.”
Supporters of rejoining the EU point to significant losses in exports stemming from Brexit, with recent analyses suggesting that the UK is losing billions by being separated from its largest trading partner. The independent report from the Institute for Public Policy for the Regions (IPPR) indicated a £6.5bn loss in exports due to lack of mutual recognition in product testing.
Moreover, Logistics UK has reported an annual shortfall exceeding £11bn in export revenues as a direct consequence of Brexit.
Sir James has raised doubts about Labour’s aptitude for effectively negotiating a return to the EU. He cited the renegotiated Erasmus student programme as an example of the current government’s shortcomings: “It was more expensive for fewer students, and almost all the benefit was for EU students rather than British students.”
Mr. Burnham, who previously advocated for rejoining, recently described Brexit as having caused “more harm than good,” prompting questions around Labour’s credibility in handling such negotiations. In dialogue with the BBC, he referenced an interview with former Conservative chancellor George Osborne to illustrate the need for a reassessment of the UK’s relationship with the EU.
Sir James dismissed these positions, suggesting that Khan and Labour are exploiting the Brexit issue to obscure their failures during their time in office. He remarked, “Sadiq Khan wants to keep rowing about an event from 10 years ago, because in the intervening 10 years, he’s got nothing to be proud of.”
This ongoing debate over Brexit is reflective of broader tensions within the UK as political figures position themselves ahead of upcoming elections, with significant implications for London’s future as a global city.
