Following Sadiq Khan’s latest call for deeper ties, Labour was accused of seeking to bring Britain back into the EU.
The mayor of London demanded that Brussels and the UK reach an agreement on youth mobility and that the UK take into consideration rejoining the customs union.
However, the Tories have responded to his remarks with fresh cautions that Sir Keir Starmer will push the UK back towards the EU.
“It’s hardly surprising Sadiq Khan wants to drag us back into the EU given Sir Keir Starmer spent years trying to block Brexit then overturn the largest democratic vote in British history,” said Richard Holden, MP, the chairman of the Conservative Party.
“And now he’s plotting to rip up our new relationship with the EU and even drag us back into the EU by ‘stealth’ with plans to hand millions of EU nationals the vote.
“Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives will continue to build on our freedoms and stick to the plan which is working and has seen us have higher economic growth than either France or Germany.
“It couldn’t be more clear that Labour would take us back to square one.”
Sir Keir currently maintains that a Labour government would not pursue reunification with the single market or customs union, despite having supported Remain and a second vote.
Mr. Khan made the following statement on Saturday at the Fabian Society conference in London: “What I’m saying is that (shadow foreign secretary) David Lammy is on to something when he’s saying we should have a closer relationship with the EU.”
He went on to say that when the Brexit agreement with the EU is up for revision in 2024, re-entering the customs union should be an option.
Mr. Khan added that the UK would gain “economically, culturally, and socially” from a youth mobility deal.
And he hit out at Labour’s “omerta”, or pact of silence, over discussing potential economic reintegration with Brussels.