Sir Sadiq Khan will today pledge to “continue to make the case” for having deeper ties with the European Union and for “being bold when it comes to closer alignment” in the context of what he will call “the rise of an intolerant and anti-democratic populism” and “trade wars and tariffs posing a real threat to international affairs”.
The Mayor is to make his remarks at the start of a meeting this afternoon with the EU “heads of mission”, a group comprising the London-based ambassadors and high commissioners of the 27 EU member states. He will also insist that “any peace negotiations” about Ukraine should “directly involve the Ukrainian government”.
His call for boldness in relation to bonds with the EU will specifically include what he will describe as “my long standing position on the benefits of the single market and the customs union”.
Khan, who campaigned prominently to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum, said in October that trade barriers ought to come down and that rejoining the single market was “something we shouldn’t be scared to talk about,” though his new remarks will again stop short of directly advocating such a move.
His intervention comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer attended a meeting with European leaders in Paris to discuss the situation in Ukraine, having earlier this month dined with them as he works towards a “reset” of relations, including a stronger security partnership.
The PM has not hinted that he will seek to take the UK back into the single market, which would restore freedom of movement, but Khan will stress that he “wholeheartedly” supports the government’s “push for better relations”.
Khan will also talk about setting up a new “youth mobility scheme” to make it easier for young Londoners and counterparts from EU nations to travel and work in each others’ countries, and argue that this would assist economic growth throughout Europe. Starmer has previously ruled out such a scheme.
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