David Miliband, the former foreign secretary, has urged Britain to build a “national consensus” about rejoining the European Union, following reports that the government proposed a single market for goods to the bloc. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Miliband said the UK needed a reset of its EU relations at “a much higher dosage” than currently planned.
Miliband, now president of the International Rescue Committee, said he was “absolutely convinced” that the UK’s security and prosperity depended on an “institutionalised, deep and strong relationship with the rest of Europe”. He criticised the current reset, valued at £9 billion by 2040, as insufficient for a £3 trillion economy.
Pressed on whether he would advocate rejoining the EU, Miliband described it as a “long-term goal” but acknowledged that the previous deal was no longer available. He noted the EU is changing profoundly, with Ukraine’s potential membership becoming a central issue. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, recently criticised a German proposal for “associate” membership as unfair.
Regarding Labour leadership speculation involving his brother Ed Miliband, David Miliband stressed the importance of focusing on policy over personality. He highlighted challenges such as global instability, technological transformation, and the need to invest in younger people, with a million 16-to-24-year-olds not in education or training.
Mike Galsworthy, chair of European Movement UK, called for more open conversations with businesses and the public about the UK’s future relationship with Europe. He said joining the single market would be “economically helpful” but stressed the need for a democratic, constructive dialogue to give the public a sense of agency.
