London mayor Sadiq Khan calls for ‘closer alignment with the EU’ in challenge to Starmer

• Khan reiterated his case for UK trying to rejoin customs union and Single Market
• Starmer today reaffirmed Government backing over Northern Ireland Protocol

Sadiq Khan demanded closer ties between the UK and EU today as he suggested Labour was supporting an ‘extreme hard Brexit‘ under Sir Keir Starmer.

The London mayor reiterated his case for the UK trying to rejoin Brussels’ customs union and Single Market today as he said the current system was damaging the UK economy.

Sir Kier has been attempting to hold his party together over Brexit, which was one of the key battle grounds ahead of the 2019 election. Today he reaffirmed his commitment to support the Government in a Commons vote on any agreement with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

But speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning Mr Khan said: ‘We have got to look at what has happened in the years since (the referendum) including the past three years plus since we left the European Union; GDP down by more than 5 per cent – 5.5 per cent, the trade we do – not just with Europe but with the rest of the world – down, our productivity down.

‘This extreme hard Brexit simply isn’t working.’

Arguing that ‘close alignment is one way to make our economy more successful’, he added: ‘The point is we should look at how we make our economy a success, and that includes having a discussion about close links with the EU and yes, we should be looking at whether being a member of the single market and the customs union is better for our country, economically, socially and all the other things that are important.

‘I’m speaking to restaurateurs closing at lunchtime because of a skills shortage and a labour shortage. I am speaking to those in the City of London who cannot flourish and thrive like they used to because theory cannot attract the talent.

‘Our underlying strengths as a city are still here, we are still going to do remarkably well. But as a country we are going to struggle if we don’t have close alignment with the EU.’

It came as senior Tories stepped up warnings to Rishi Sunak not to try to strike a Brexit deal with Brussels which is unacceptable to Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

British officials have been in talks with EU counterparts over the weekend amid speculation that an agreement to resolve the problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol governing post-Brexit trading arrangements is close.

However the reports have alarmed some committed Tory Brexiteers as well as some senior figures in the DUP who fear the Government is giving too much ground to the EU.

No 10 denied suggestions the Prime Minister had been forced to delay an announcement – which had been widely expected as early as this week – amid concerns of a backlash at Westminster.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Thurrock in Essex, Sir Keir said there was a ‘window of opportunity’ to resolve the problems with the protocol.

‘There is a window of opportunity to move forward. The UK and the EU have obviously edged closer together. The question now is whether the Prime Minister is strong enough to get it through his own backbenches,’ he said.

‘What I have said on Northern Ireland, the national interest comes first. So we will put party politics to one side. We will vote with the Government and so the Prime Minister doesn’t have to rely on his backbenches.

‘We in the Labour Party believe country first and party second. I am inviting the Prime Minister to do the same thing.’