London Mayor Sadiq Khan told CNBC that Britain’s ruling Labor Party should commit to rejoining the EU at the next general election.
In an interview on Monday, Khan acknowledged the party’s disastrous results in last week’s local elections. He called on the government to be “bolder and braver” and deliver on its promises, as party MPs openly debate who will replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“People are frustrated with the slow pace of deliveries,” Khan told CNBC’s Ritika Gupta.
“We weren’t bold enough, we weren’t courageous enough, and we’re at risk of a pretty big defeat in the next general election.”
Prime Minister Khan welcomed Prime Minister Starmer’s speech after the election results, in which the Prime Minister announced the UK government’s intention to rebuild its relationship with the European Union, including strengthening ties with the European Union’s single market and customs union.
“Labour will go into the next general election with a manifesto that includes a clear commitment to rejoin the European Union if we win the next general election,” Khan said. A general election must be held by August 2029 at the latest.
At the next general election, stand with a manifesto that is a clear commitment to rejoin the European Union if Labor wins the next general election. ”
Sadiq Khan
mayor of london
The country left the EU in 2020 after the Leave camp won 52% in the 2016 referendum.
Mr Khan, the mayor of Europe’s biggest financial center, called leaving the EU “the greatest act of economic self-harm ever committed by any country”.
Mr Khan said the UK could address the cost of living crisis by creating more wealth and prosperity, adding: “The best way to do that is to rejoin the largest trading bloc on our doorstep.”
Khan highlighted “huge changes” since Labor’s victory in the 2024 general election, including US President Donald Trump’s tariffs that are hurting global trade.
Khan said this and the conflict between Iran and Ukraine have increased the cost of living and energy prices, adding that the public “needs to recognize and acknowledge the headwinds from abroad.”
Regarding relations with the United States, Khan said people should remember “how unpredictable our current president is.”
He added: “It’s very difficult to build a relationship with someone like that. I mean, someone who is just a maverick or a subversive, but whose behavior is clearly difficult to predict.”
Khan added that it is unprecedented for a U.S. president to be “imposing tariffs, being protectionist, being unilateral, pulling out of climate change agreements, talking about leaving NATO, leaving agreements that were made literally in days and weeks depending on his mood.”
But he said the relationship between the two countries was “more than personalities” and said Mr Starmer had “done a great job of explaining that we can be friends with the United States and we can be friends with the European Union”.
He acknowledged that Labour’s policy successes were overshadowed by “fundamental mistakes and failures” and said last week’s election result was “more than just a shot in the arm” for Labor.
But Mr Khan urged caution in choosing Mr Starmer’s successor.
“When I speak to people around the world, whether they are investors, chief executives or venture capitalists, they look to the UK as a place that provides tranquility, stability and certainty,” he said.
