Starmer defends approach to EU as Tories claim he would ‘unpick’ Brexit

The Labour leader insisted there was no case for rejoining the EU, its single market or customs union after the Tories seized on comments suggesting he would not "diverge" from Brussels' rules.

Sir Keir said he was simply stating that a Labour government would not water down standards in areas such as food safety or workers' rights.

The row came after the Labour leader told a conference of centre-left politicians in Canada that under his leadership the UK could have a close relationship with the bloc because "we don't want to diverge, we don't want to lower standards".

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt claimed the comments would "worry a lot of people that what he really wants to do is to unpick Brexit".

But Sir Keir said there was "no case for rejoining the EU, no case for the customs union or single market" and laws would be "made in this country for the public interest".

But he added: "That does not mean that a Labour government would lower standards on food or lower the rights that people have at work.

"That's been consistent Labour Party policy for years. Incidentally, that's also government policy."

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Labour accepted the result of the 2016 referendum but the party does want "a better relationship with our nearest neighbours and trading partners".

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It shouldn't come as a surprise to people that an incoming Labour government doesn't want to dilute workers' rights, environmental protections or food standards. That's not what Labour are about.

"But because we want those high standards, we think it is easier for an incoming Labour government to get a better deal with the EU to improve trading relations.

"Because the truth is, the deal that Boris Johnson secured three years ago is not good enough and we have seen a decline in trade between the UK and other European neighbours."

She insisted there would not be "dynamic alignment", where the UK follows changes from Brussels and "we are not going to be rule takers".