Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain is prepared to align more closely with the European Union's single market if it serves the national interest, signaling a willingness to deepen post-Brexit ties with Brussels. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Starmer said the UK should "go further" in strengthening relations with the EU following a trade deal agreed earlier this year. He pointed to recent steps to bring Britain into closer alignment with EU agriculture and food standards, describing them as a sovereign choice. "That's the sovereign decision that we have taken," Starmer said. "I think we should get closer, and if it's in our national interest to have even closer alignment with the single market, then we should consider that, we should go that far." He said closer ties with the single market would benefit the UK, adding: "I think it's in our national interest to go further." However, Starmer indicated that rejoining the EU customs union was less likely, despite having previously supported the idea. He said circumstances had changed since earlier debates. "I argued for a customs union for many years with the EU, but a lot of water has now gone under the bridge," he said, while acknowledging calls to reconsider the issue. Starmer said recent trade agreements meant the government should pursue a different path. "Now we've done deals with the US which are in our national interest, now we've done deals with India which are in our national interest, we are better looking to the single market rather than the customs union for our further alignment," he said. Starmer also played down concerns about his leadership, saying he expects to still be prime minister this time next year despite a difficult period for his government. He rejected suggestions that elections in Scotland, Wales and England in May would amount to a referendum on his administration. "I was elected in 2024 with a five-year mandate to change the country, and that's what I intend to do," he said, adding that he expects to be judged at the next general election on whether he has delivered on key priorities. Parliament is due to return from the Christmas recess on Monday, with Starmer expected to hold his first Cabinet meeting of 2026 the following day. The meeting is likely to focus on the cost of living and the government's priorities for the year ahead amid ongoing economic uncertainty. — Agencies
