Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, has made the welcome announcement that he would seek closer alignment with the EU Single Market across sectors of the economy “where it made sense” during an interview with the BBC on Sunday. Over the past few months, Starmer has been much more willing to blame the UK’s economic woes on Brexit, so this policy change is a logical next step in that political calculation. It is a deft move by the prime minister, even if what it means in practice still remains to be fully spelt out. Closer alignment with the EU Single Market will generate higher levels of growth, but not on the scale needed to shore up the UK’s perilous fiscal position. The prime minister has also ruled out negotiating a customs union arrangement with the EU, which could have significant potential economic benefits.

Source: The Irish Times January 05, 2026 21:31 UTC