Reeves Pushes for EU Alignment, Critics Cry Foul

0:00On March 19, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has openly said she wishes Brexit never happened and that she'd vote to stay in the European Union if she could go back in time. She's kicking off a new push to align the British economy more closely with EU rules, aiming for better trade without rejoining or holding another. Referendum. Reeves, who back remained a decade ago, called the 2016 vote divisive and wants to move forward. She's pointing to research showing Brexit hit the UK's gross domestic product by 8%, arguing that closer ties could boost growth, raise, living standards, and cut shop prices. Under the new labor government, they've already made progress on food standards, energy trading, and rejoining the Erasmus student program. Critics, especially from the conservative side, accuse her of sneaking Britain back into the EU through the back door sector by sector. They say it's like slowly boiling a frog, hoping people won't notice the gradual changes,

1:00and that it's just a distraction from economic troubles. Reeves laid this out in a big speech earlier this week, saying divergence from EU rules should be rare, not routine. She's eyeing industries like chemicals, cars, and finance for more linemen to ease single market access. Meanwhile, she headed to Madrid on Wednesday to charm Spanish business leaders and talk travel perks for UK pros with her counterpart there. This reset with Europe is just getting started, promising smoother trade ahead.