Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on the Labour Party to fight the next general election with a manifesto commitment to rejoin the European Union. In an interview with Italian publication La Repubblica, Khan said a vote for Labour should mean a vote to rejoin the bloc, describing it as “inevitable”.
Khan cited the economic instability caused by Donald Trump since Labour was elected in July 2024 as a key reason for the shift. “President Trump is imposing tariffs to friend and foe, creating huge economic uncertainty that was unforeseen at the last general election,” he said. He also pointed to US involvement in a war in Iran, affecting oil prices and the cost of living.
The mayor argued that the damage from Brexit is evident daily, both economically and socially. He referenced research from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and Goldman Sachs suggesting the UK economy would have grown by an additional 10% without Brexit.
Khan’s position goes beyond the current government’s policy, which focuses on “resetting” relations with the EU. Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week said the UK should follow more EU rules to boost trade, but insisted she was not trying to “turn back the clock” on Brexit.
