Labour blasted over Brexit betrayal in damning report - 'poorer and less free!'

Detailed summary

Labour stands accused of a great Brexit betrayal by business leaders who warn that cosying up to Brussels would leave Britain poorer and less free. A damning report by the…

Labour stands accused of a great Brexit betrayal by business leaders who warn that cosying up to Brussels would leave Britain poorer and less free. A damning report by the Independent Business Network says Andy Burnham has no mandate to take Britain back towards the EU, and that his reset has already given away far too much.

The group, which speaks for family firms across the country, warns Britain already enjoys the best deal of any country outside the bloc. Its intervention comes days before the Prime Minister heads to Brussels for a crunch summit on Friday.

The report, titled The Great Betrayal, warns that each of the options Mr Burnham has floated, a customs union, the Single Market or rejoining outright, would leave Britain “poorer and less free”.

He said: “It is vitally important that the U.K. keeps its ability to choose self-determination.”

The report says rejoining would cost between £22billion and £35billion a year in EU budget contributions alone, based on estimates it cites, before payments for schemes such as Erasmus+.

Britain would also lose its rebate, have no guaranteed opt-outs and face a legal commitment to adopt the euro.

A customs union would hand control of Britain’s trade policy to Brussels, the report warns, and could force the unpicking of trade deals with Australia, New Zealand, India and the Gulf.

It points out that 58.7% of UK exports went outside the EU in 2025, along with 63% of services exports. And it notes Britain secured a 10% US tariff, against the 15% imposed on the EU.

The group also takes aim at the reset struck under Sir Keir Starmer, which tied Britain to EU food and carbon rules and guaranteed EU boats access to British waters until 2038.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Express. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.