‘Move closer to Europe – not Trump’ voters tell Starmer in major UK poll
‘Move closer to Europe – not Trump’ voters tell Starmer in major UK poll
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Pressure growing on Labour to improve trade with EU as Rachel Reeves admits Brexit damaged UK. Keir Starmer is under growing pressure to forge closer economic links with Europe five years on from Brexit, as a major new poll shows voters clearly favour prioritising more trade with the EU over the US.
![[Rachel Reeves ]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/9fefcf3ac55e2aeea0902fbfce2a5df7466f8480/0_62_4386_2632/master/4386.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The MRP survey of almost 15,000 people by YouGov for the Best for Britain thinktank shows more people in every constituency in England, Scotland and Wales back closer arrangements with the EU rather than more transatlantic trade with Washington. MRP polls use large data samples to estimate opinion at a local level.
![[Donald Trump]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7ff4aadc5c8ccf6a10e34ba2b376c69ab9eaec5b/0_86_3671_2202/master/3671.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Even in Nigel Farage’s seat of Clacton, more people think the UK is better off trading more with its neighbours on the continent than with the US under the Reform UK leader’s ally Donald Tump. The findings come as the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, on Sundaytells the Observer that Brexit has harmed the UK economy and that she is determined to claw back some of the lost gross domestic product (GDP) by reducing trade frictions for UK small businesses wherever possible. In one of the clearest statements by a senior government minister on Brexit, Reeves answered yes when asked if she was clear that leaving the EU had damaged the UK’s financial position.
The chancellor, who discussed possible ways to improve trade with EU finance ministers and others at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, said there were “loads of external estimates” showing the negative impact of Brexit on the UK economy and added: “What I want to do is get some of that GDP back by having a better trading relationship with the European Union.”.
