Labour isn’t “sweeping any options off the table” on Europe, says Thornberry

Labour isn’t ruling out the possibility of staying within the single market, Emily Thornberry has suggested.

Speaking last night, she said: “Our position is that we need to be able to negotiate a new relationship with the European Union.”

“We’re not sweeping any options off the table, we do it within the parameters that I’ve set out, what it is that our principles are, and you know some of the people who have been making a contribution to the debate, their contribution is greatly welcomed but you know with respect to them, they’re not the ones leading the party on this.”

When pressed on the single market itself, Thornberry said on the BBC’s Westminster Hour: “What we need to do is we need to not fixate on forms, what we need to do is fixate on what the end result is going to be. So how do we best look after our economy, and how do we best look after the safety and security of our citizens?”

Her intervention comes after a period of intense debate within the party on whether staying within the single market was the best Brexit option for Labour.

Jeremy Corbyn signalled that as prime minister he would take Britain out of the trading bloc, and Barry Gardiner warned that being in the market in a Norway style deal would leave Britain as a “vassal state.”

Sadiq Khan said at the weekend that Labour could legitimately stop Brexit if a fresh vote were held on the issue – either a referendum or manifesto pledge. 

You can read a breakdown of who in the party has said what, here.