‘Absolute madness not to’: Why Independent readers back a return to EU customs union

Independent It’s no surprise, readers say, that the debate over rejoining the EU’s customs union has flared up; Many argue that the economic effects of Brexit make renewed alignment not only desirable but necessary.

His comments followed the dramatic and highly unusual House of Commons vote on the Liberal Democrats’ motion calling for negotiations on an exclusive UK-EU customs union.

The split ended in a rare 100-100 draw for the first time since 2019, with deputy chairman Caroline Noakes forced to cast her own vote. In line with parliamentary convention, he voted “yes” to allow further debate; This means that MPs will review the proposal again in the second reading on January 16.

Thirteen people on the Labor backbencher supported the Liberal Democrat plan, while only three people voted against it.

Many readers said rejoining the customs union represented the most realistic first step in repairing Britain’s strained relationship with Europe.

Some accused Keir Starmer of ruling it out altogether, calling it a missed opportunity to reduce trade friction, restore productivity and stimulate an economy still feeling the shock of Brexit. Others emphasized practical advantages: eliminating internal tariffs, easing border controls and improving market access.

But some have warned that a customs union alone is not a simple solution and that Britain must accept regulatory alignment and its diminished influence post-Brexit if meaningful progress is to be made.

If you want to learn more about how the customs union works, read more here.

Here’s what you need to say:

Starmer’s missed opportunity

If Starmer had shown some vision and courage with the huge majority he won in 2024, we could now be back to the single market and customs union.

Our economy, security and impact on the planet, which were severely damaged by Brexit, have almost recovered by now. Little by little, we could regain the benefits we had received as part of the programs of the bloc (Copernicus, Euratom, Erasmus, Frontex, Europol, etc.).

The only party campaigning to rejoin the EU was the Liberal Democrats. I couldn’t vote for them as it would be a wasted vote due to our undemocratic first pass in our post-election system. I did my best. I voted Labor to get rid of my local Tory MP. Many others did the same. At least we got rid of many corrupt and incompetent Tory MPs.

HASTINGSPIER

EU membership still best for Britain

I am a Reform voter but I am not and never have been a Brexiteer. It was clear to everyone that being in the EU was in our country’s best interests, and it was maddening that so many people failed to see this. Yes, the EU was in complete disarray and still in desperate need of reform, but our defection was never the solution.

We should have stayed and led the way, steering the Union away from being the ridiculously woke, progressive experiment under the likes of Merkel and guiding the bloc, like Meloni and Orban, onto more traditional, conservative and common-sense ground… as the vast majority of Europeans, including the UK, have been begging the EU to do for decades.

We need to reintegrate ourselves into the EU, shape and shape policy and ensure that our continent is free from leftists, internationalists/globalists, Islam etc. We need to make sure it is protected.

Sagia

Gradual re-entry possible

Rejoining the customs union would be complicated, given that we have left the EU since Brexit and are in political danger from Brexit fanatics like Farage. But it is possible to have a more limited, special customs union with the bloc – Türkiye has such a customs union – so ‘disabling the customs union’ is not as clear-cut as it might seem. Rejoining any of the EU structures would need to be a gradual process, so while not ideal, this (or a revival of May’s Brexit deal with similar elements) wouldn’t be a bad place to start.

It is important to push the re-accession process forward and gain some momentum, but there are both political and practical limits to what Starmer can promise, as it is not his decision to readmit the UK to the customs union or single market; This is an EU decision and it cannot deliver on this commitment until it is sure it will get us back and on terms that will not reignite the Brexit fire.

Tanaquil2

customs union case

I can’t understand why Keir Starmer says he has always wanted closer relations with the EU but “we will never rejoin the customs union or single market on my watch”.

When you rejoin the customs union, why not:

It also protects industries with a common external tariff while providing benefits such as economies of scale, cost savings, trade creation and stronger collective bargaining power. Not doing so is sheer madness, so it’s no surprise it’s accepted, especially by Labor MPs.

Amy

We need to understand the consequences of Brexit

The United Kingdom cannot join the customs union; Only EU members are included in the customs union. Türkiye has an agreement with the customs union. The main feature of this is that Türkiye unquestioningly complies with the EU customs union regulations and even with the changes that the EU may make in the future.

Once the UK realizes that this is the kind of deal it can aim for, it can go ahead with it. The Liberal Democrats may be aware of this, but the majority of Britons think the UK and the EU are equal partners (in fact they think the EU needs the UK more than the UK. But this was only felt by keen Europhiles like myself in the late sixties when the EEC had only six members and EFTA had eight members and was growing. Now the EU has 27 members and few are willing to join, and EFTA has four members and does not even want the UK to rejoin).

There will be no significant improvement in relations with the EU until the UK understands what the consequences of Brexit are. To be honest, most Brits didn’t like it. They don’t know what they’re wasting by leaving, and they don’t actually know what they need to do if they want to repair (some of it).

The likes of Farage and Lammy see different approaches to the EU but both live in a fantasy about what the possibilities are for the UK. Both will experience disappointment in their dreams.

Restarted againHans2

Look how good we are!

Why do we need to rejoin the customs union/single market? This alone gives us free access to 750 million potential customers! (sarcasm)

Look how well off we are with 12 free ports that Johnson said would make us “tremendously rich”! Each will cost the taxpayer between £25 million and £52 million to install… Tax cuts alone will cost the government £50 million a year, which could rise to around £200 million a year within 10 years.

Jook

Liberal Democrats are the voice of reason

While there is a real case for some aspects of Brexit (such as political and military unity), economic separation was always going to be an unmitigated disaster, especially as it occurs in the middle of a pandemic. Nothing was planned with foresight, alternative markets were few and far between; Its architects simply resorted to propaganda to achieve this. I will never trust buses again!

As always, it was left to the Liberal Democrats to be the voice of reason amid the mutual opposition of Laurel and Hardy, whose reputations had fallen further than before as a result of this debacle, allowing the real culprit to take advantage for his own gain, as he has done for years in the EU parliament. It’s a real shame that Cameron didn’t stand up to the divisive forces within his party in coalition – he didn’t have to let this happen – an advisory vote where one minority was slightly larger than the other minority. He could have thrown these out before 2015.

FreeLife

I would prefer to rejoin as a full member

A comprehensive customs agreement with the EU would mean de facto re-subjection to EU rules, without any policy interest. This would undoubtedly require full harmonization of regulations as well as the adoption of common tariffs (which would mean all the UK’s other trade agreements being declared null and void).

I would rather see the UK rejoin as a full member than this. Fortunately, Starmer has no intention of going after either of them.

Ian Robinson

Some of the comments in this article have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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