“She’s spot on.”
Tracy Brabin, Labour mayor of West Yorkshire, has urged the prime minister to reconsider his Brexit ‘red lines’ and explore joining a customs union with the EU, arguing that the current settlement is holding back growth across her region.
Labour’s 2024 manifesto committed the party to ‘reset’ relations with the EU by reducing trade barriers, while ruling out rejoining the single market or customs union. Since taking office, Starmer has maintained that position, repeatedly insisting the UK will not return to those frameworks or to EU membership.
But following a recent trade mission to Switzerland and Germany, Brabin has signalled local economic realities, particularly in West Yorkshire, demand a more ambitious approach. A customs union, which allows tariff-free trade between members, would in her view remove significant friction for exporters and help revive regional growth.
“If we are serious about growth, we must be braver about our relationship with Europe,” she said. “That means a customs union relationship with the EU.”
Her argument is rooted in the day-to-day experience of businesses across West Yorkshire. In practical terms, she says, Brexit has translated into fewer orders for manufacturers in Bradford, increased administrative burdens for health tech firms in Huddersfield, and missed opportunities for financial services companies in Leeds.
“In West Yorkshire, the value of goods we exported to Europe in 2023 was barely any higher than in 2018,” she said.
These local concerns mirror national trends. Since the UK’s departure from the EU, exporters have faced additional costs and bureaucracy. A late-2023 survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found that 49 percent of businesses view customs checks and declarations as a barrier to exporting, rising to 62 percent among manufacturers. Tariffs and duties were cited by 40 percent of firms, while 38 percent pointed to regulatory hurdles such as product certification. Together, these factors have made trading with Europe more complex and less competitive.
The government is attempting to ease some of these pressures. A proposed Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU aims to reduce paperwork and costs, particularly in the agri-food sector. Earlier this month, environment secretary Emma Reynolds said such a deal could eliminate “mountains of paperwork” and reduce delays, with a target start date of mid-2027.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who represents a neighbouring Leeds constituency, has acknowledged that Brexit has weighed on growth and living standards.
“Brexit has not been good for our country, for growth, for prices in the shop. It’s almost 10 years since we voted Leave,” said the Chancellor.
“That ship has sailed but there’s an awful lot we can do to improve our trading relations. Where that requires alignment in our national interest, we should absolutely align.”
Locally, Tracy Brabin’s intervention resonated, prompting supportive reaction across social media. Many commenters framed her proposal as a practical, common-sense response to the pressures facing businesses in West Yorkshire.
One user described the idea as “a no-brainer,” arguing that the benefits would extend well beyond Bradford, Huddersfield and Leeds to the wider regional economy. Another simply wrote: “She’s spot on.”
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