Sadiq Khan says Labour should back return to EU

London mayor breaks with Downing Street by urging Labour to campaign for renewed EU membership, as pressure grows inside and beyond the party for closer post-Brexit ties with Europe

Sir Sadiq Khan has called on Labour to go into the next general election promising to rejoin the European Union, in the clearest sign yet of senior pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to move beyond his current Brexit settlement.

The mayor of London said the government should rejoin the customs union and single market before the next election, expected in 2029, despite repeated insistence from Downing Street that it will do neither.

In remarks to Italian newspaper la Repubblica, Khan said Brexit had caused economic, social and cultural damage to London and the wider UK, and argued that returning to the EU was ultimately unavoidable.

“I see on a daily basis the damage Brexit has done to not just London, but Londoners, the damage economically, socially and culturally,” he said.

He added: “I think it’s inevitable, the direction of travel at some stage we’re going to rejoin the European Union.”

His intervention puts him at odds with the prime minister’s public position and opens a fresh dividing line inside Labour over how far and how quickly Britain should seek closer ties with Brussels.

Downing Street has repeatedly ruled out rejoining the customs union or single market, even as ministers have faced growing calls to ease trade frictions and improve relations with Europe.

Khan also suggested the case for Brexit had weakened further amid wider international instability, saying US tariffs and the war in Iran had worsened the cost of living.

The intervention drew an immediate political response. The Conservatives said the mayor’s comments showed Starmer was “in office but not in power”, while Reform UK said it would oppose any attempt to bring Britain back into the single market or customs union after the next election.

Khan also used the interview to question parts of the government’s planned asylum crackdown, aligning himself with Labour figures who have raised concerns over tougher settlement rules for migrants already in the UK.

“We want people, if they come here, to properly contribute, to integrate and get involved,” he said. “I would hope that the Labour government would listen to myself, Angela Rayner, Andy Burnham and many others who have expressed concerns.”

His remarks came on a day of broader criticism of Brexit from across the political spectrum. Green Party leader Zack Polanski said he wanted Britain to rejoin the EU, while the Liberal Democrats renewed their call for the UK to enter a customs union.In a speech at King’s College London on Wednesday evening, former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major reportedly said Brexit had “failed to deliver its many promises” and was causing an annual loss of “£100 billion of European trade and £40 billion of tax revenue”.

Sir John said Brexit was “doing enormous damage to the lives and livelihoods of the British people – and their future” and had “left the UK more solitary and vulnerable”.

“I do not believe we can fully rejoin the European Union in the near future,” he said.

While Sir John said he did not believe the UK could fully rejoin the EU in the near term, he argued that economic self-interest required Britain to rebuild relations with its European neighbours “as swiftly and as comprehensively as possible”.

READ MORE: ‘Brexit still hitting poorest hardest as food costs rise and mental health worsens‘. Low-income families, migrants, young adults and small businesses remain the most negatively affected groups five years after the UK left the EU, with household budgets and wellbeing deteriorating.

Do you have news to share or expertise to contribute? The European welcomes insights from business leaders and sector specialists. Get in touch with our editorial team to find out more.

_{Main image: London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has urged Labour to commit to rejoining the EU, saying Brexit’s economic and social impact makes a return “inevitable”. Credit: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street (OGL 3)}