Former Chancellor George Osborne says Britain should enter the trade bloc to help our economy recover
George Osborne (Image: Getty)
George Osborne provoked Brexiteer fury after saying Britain should rejoin the European Union’s customs union to help our ailing economy. The former Tory Chancellor said the UK’s economy has “fallen off a cliff” since we left the EU and that rejoining the trade bloc would be the fastest route to recovery.
Mr Osborne, who resigned from the Treasury role after being part of David Cameron’s cabinet at the time of the Brexit referendum, said it was important to rebuild links with the EU. “Brexit has been a mess,” he said in an interview with The Independent. “Britain has basically gone off a cliff.
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“It has had a huge impact on the British economy. It is clearly poorer than it would otherwise be.”
Acknowledging that rejoining the EU would be difficult a decade on from the Brexit referendum, Mr Osborne said closer ties with Europe can boost the economy.
“I would rejoin the customs union,” he said. “It’s a quite simple thing to do. That was never part of the Brexit debate. No one knew we were leaving it and it has had a devastating impact on trade.
“The reason we weren’t supposed to be in the customs union – according to the Brexiteers – was these great trade deals we were going to strike with America. That all looks pretty fanciful now.
“People now realise you can’t look at Britain’s growth problem without beginning to think, ‘how can we revive trade with the continent, how can we get investment?’.
“If I was Andy Burnham, I don’t see why you wouldn’t rejoin the customs union. It’s a pretty straightforward decision because unlike (rejoining) the single market it does not require you to accept the free movement of people – which is a pretty complicated issue to sell to people in Britain at the moment.”
But David Bannerman, a prominent Brexiteer and former MEP, hit out at Mr Osborne’s remarks.
“Osborne was always trouble,” he posted on X.
“Remember his Referendum threat of £35bn tax rises from an Emergency Budget if Brexit succeeded – never necessary. He is said to want to send the Marbles to Greece.”
Brexit’s impact has been fiercely debated since Britain finally left the EU in January 2020.
The immediate recession predicted in the Treasury forecasts ordered by Mr Osborne – dubbed “project fear” by the Leave campaign – did not happen.
Meanwhile, the impact from the Covid pandemic, wars in Ukraine and Iran, and Donald Trump’s trade battles have had an unprecedented impact on the UK economy, as well as many others around the world.
But our economy has spluttered in the two years since Labour came to power in 2024.
GB News turns tense in explosive migrant clash: ‘Be quiet!’
Presenter Ben Leo fired back at political commentator Matthew Stadlen.
Ben Leo fired back at Matthew Stadlen after he attempted to interrupt him (Image: GB News)
GB News took a tense turn on Sunday (13 September) as presenter Ben Leo clashed with political commentator Matthew Stadlen live on air. Appearing on the programme to discuss the impact of the French deal on the small boats crisis, the duo also reflected on ex-Chancellor George Osborne‘s calls for the UK to rejoin the customs union.
“I suspect that if we were to rejoin the customs union, it would help us economically,” Matthew began. “There’s no doubt that Brexit has harmed us economically – [but] that doesn’t mean I think we should have another referendum.”
“Anyway, despite the anti-Britishness being peddled by your guest Thomas there, we have over the first two quarters, over the first half of this year, the highest growth – it’s not massive growth – but the highest growth in the G7 and that, of course, includes the United States of America,” he continued.
“I’m also astonished to hear from you, Ben, that you think France should be treated as a hostile state,” Matthew noted, firing at the GB News host.
“What would that involve? Does that mean we would get banned from going to France on our summer holidays? How far do you take this?”
“Absolutely,” Ben replied. “There is nothing more serious than what is going on with the small boats crisis,” he declared, before Matthew attempted to cut in, talking over the journalist.
“Hang on, I’m talking now,” Ben snapped back, raising his voice. “You just had a monologue, so be quiet! The national security, there have been thousands of men – we don’t know who they are or where they’re from, what their intentions are – breaking into Britain.
“That should be the number-one national security issue for this nation. If that means severing ties with France politically and economically, I say do it.”
Former Chancellor George Osborne is calling for the UK to rejoin the customs union (Image: Getty)
Following the fiery debate, viewers were quick to respond on X. “@Benleo, that’s the problem with the left, they think they only have the right to speak, and everyone else has to shut up. Sorry @MatthewStadlen, it ain’t happening,” wrote one. “Well done, Ben. Why does GB News have that nasty person on?” added a second.
Among the comments, however, others questioned the journalist’s stance on cutting ties with France. “So there you have it, straight out of Ben Leo’s mouth. We should ban people from going on holiday to France and sever economic ties with France. Has Leo gone completely crazy?” tweeted a third. “Has Ben Leo taken leave of his senses?” quipped a fourth.