George Osborne Urges UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union

Former Chancellor George Osborne advocated for the United Kingdom to rejoin the European Union customs union to stimulate economic recovery and increase trade. In an interview with The Independent, Osborne argued that the British economy has "fallen off a cliff" since Brexit and is clearly poorer than it would have been otherwise.

Osborne presented rejoining the customs union as a straightforward method to revive continental trade and attract investment. He noted that this path differs from rejoining the single market because it does not require the United Kingdom to accept the free movement of people.

He dismissed the possibility of securing significant trade deals with the United States, describing such prospects as "fanciful." Osborne suggested that political leaders, including Andy Burnham, should consider this strategy to address the country's ongoing growth problems.