A deeper trading relationship with the EU would be the best way of growing Britain’s economy, which has an “uncomfortable” level of tax, Wes Streeting has said.
The health secretary said it would not be possible for any partnership with the EU to “return to freedom of movement”, but his comments appeared to leave the door open to the idea of a customs union.
His remarks on the EU appear to go further than the government’s position, which has ruled out a customs union as it seeks deeper trading relations with Brussels. Some in the cabinet would like No 10 to go further in its ambitions in order to improve the UK economy.
Streeting spoke out about the EU, the economy and his own ambitions in a wide-ranging interview with the Observer, while stressing that he was not after Keir Starmer’s job.
He said a deeper economic partnership with Europe would be the best way of increasing growth, and suggested he would like to go further than the current reset with the EU, which he described as a “good start”.
“We’ve taken a massive economic hit leaving the European Union. I’m really uncomfortable with the level of taxation in this country. We’re asking a lot of individual taxpayers, we’re asking a lot of businesses. We’ve got a level of indebtedness that we need to take very seriously,” he said. “The best way for us to get more growth into our economy is a deeper trading relationship with the EU.
“The reason why leaving the EU hit us so hard as a country is because of the enormous economic benefits that came with being in the single market and the customs union. This is a country and a government that wants a closer trading relationship with Europe.
“The challenge is any economic partnership we have can’t lead to a return to freedom of movement.”
On his own brief, Streeting said the NHS was “coping” with resident doctors’ strikes, but he was worried about its recovery as the industrial action enters its final day.
The health secretary said that the NHS was managing to get through the five-day action by the British Medical Association doctors in England, but he was concerned about the period afterwards as the health service struggles with flu cases.
Streeting has taken a tough stance on strikes. He offered resident doctors a deal that involved more training places but no extra money, which was refused.
His position has been criticised by Andrea Egan, the incoming general secretary of Unison, as an “unacceptable” approach to striking workers.
Streeting said: “I think the NHS is coping. The period that worries me more is the post-strike period when we have to try and recover the service. That now falls at a time of year which is the NHS’s busiest.
“I don’t think that doctors are selfish and don’t care about nurses and other healthcare professionals, but the BMA’s position can be quite hardline and uncompromising.”
Streeting, who is considered a top contender to be the next Labour leader, described recent media briefings by allies of Starmer several weeks ago – amid speculation he was preparing to replace the prime minister – as a “bizarre drive-by” and questioned why anyone would want the top job.
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