UK should ‘explore’ closer trade relations with EU, Jonathan Reynolds says

The UK should “explore opportunities” for closer trade relations with the European Union (EU), Jonathan Reynolds has said.

Reynolds, the newly appointed business and trade secretary in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government, has told Sky News there are many areas, such as food and drink, where the UK has the same standards as the EU and it should look to make the most of the overlap.

He said: “If we can sell more whisky, more salmon to a market which is so significant to us, of course we should explore an opportunity like that.

“I think moving forward to, to be frank, a relationship to Europe that is not determined by the internal politics of the Conservative Party is very much in the national interest in the UK.”

However, Reynolds, who is also President of the Board of Trade, confirmed the return of freedom of movement with the EU was not on the table.

“Removing some of those barriers to trade makes sense”, he said. “We’ve talked about recognising each others’ professional qualifications, again completely sensible, pragmatic.”

He added: “If you are in the creative industries you’ve really suffered in your ability to move around the EU in terms of the restrictions on that. These are practical things.”

Pressed on free movement of people, Reynolds said: “We’re not open to the free movement of people, that is something that is part of membership of the European Union and, as I said, we’re not revisiting that.”

He added: “We were right in the campaign to respect Brexit, to not revisit those constitutional arguments… but of course, where it’s in the mutual interest of both the EU and the UK to work together, that good faith relationship has got to make sense.”

The MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, who was re-elected on Thursday night, was appointed to his cabinet post the following day.

“We have many urgent priorities, and fundamentally must restore long-term growth and prosperity to the UK,” he commented.

“At all times, we will model the pro-business, pro-worker agenda that has commanded so much support.”