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The UK should follow Canada’s lead to treat the EU as a “strategic asset” and signal Britain’s “intention to apply for membership”, campaigners have argued.
During her EU State of the Union address, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wants Canada to become the bloc’s “first associate member”.
Citing the shared values between Canada and the European Union, von der Leyen argued the future relationship between both parties would be for “common strength”.
Naomi Smith, Chief Executive of Best for Britain, said:
“When the Prime Minister watches Everton tonight with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney, he should focus on how much more than football our two countries have in common: both economies are being squeezed by the inflationary impact of Trump’s trade wars, deepening the cost of living crisis for their citizens, and neither can count on the US as a reliable trading partner, and both are threatened by an authoritarian in Moscow determined to destroy our liberal democracies.
“Carney is treating the EU as the strategic asset it is, and the UK must do the same, going much further than the status quo to signal our intention to apply for membership. Voters want it, our economy needs it, and Burnham can deliver it.”