Reeves 'happy to look' at joining tariff-free trading scheme with Europe
Reeves 'happy to look' at joining tariff-free trading scheme with Europe
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The chancellor has said the goverment is "absolutely happy" to look at joining a pan-European customs area after the EU said it is open to British membership. Earlier this week, EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said Brussels "could consider" allowing the UK into the Pan Euro Mediterranean Convention (PEM) as part of a "reset" in discussions between the UK and the EU.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. Chancellor Rachel Reeves told Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: "It was really interesting to see Maros Sefcovic this week suggest that the UK might be welcome in that Pan Euro Mediterranean customs framework.
"We are absolutely happy to look at those different proposals because we know the deal the previous government secured is not working well enough, not for small businesses trying to export, it's not working well enough for large businesses either. "We're grown up enough to admit that, whereas the previous government said there were no problems at all.".
Politics latest: Badenoch would back Heathrow third runway. She said they would look at "constructive ideas" but only if they adhere to the government's red lines set out in the manifesto. Ms Reeves' stance differs from that of EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds who earlier in the week said: "We don't currently have any plans to join PEM.".
