George Osborne Calls for UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union to Boost Trade
Former UK chancellor George Osborne has called for Britain to rejoin the European Union's customs union, saying it would be the fastest way to support economic recovery. The Guardian
The call came in an interview with Geordie Greig for The Independent, published on 12 September and reported on 13 September 2026. Osborne used the interview to give his verdict on Britain's post-Brexit economic position and to set out a trade prescription.
His language was blunt. Osborne said Britain's economy has "fallen off a cliff" since Brexit. He told The Independent that "Brexit has been a mess" and left Britain clearly poorer than it would otherwise be.
He was direct about the remedy. Osborne said "I would rejoin the customs union," describing it as a quite simple thing to do.
Osborne argued that leaving the customs union was never part of the Brexit debate and has had a devastating impact on trade. In his account, leaving the EU did not have to mean leaving its customs arrangement, yet that second decision carried heavier consequences for trade.
He also dismissed the case made by Brexit supporters for leaving the customs union to strike trade deals with America. That rationale, he said, now looks fanciful.
Osborne drew a distinction between the customs union and the single market. The customs union sets shared tariffs, which are taxes on imports, and reduces border checks. The single market is wider and covers regulation, services and mobility. Rejoining the customs union, unlike rejoining the single market, does not require accepting free movement of people, he said.
The broader context here is why Osborne chose the customs union. By separating it from the single market, he frames the move as a trade fix rather than a full reversal of Brexit. He is picking the option that avoids the most sensitive condition of single market membership.
Looking at what this means for the debate ahead, the comment reopens a question many in Westminster had treated as settled. Osborne is not proposing full reintegration. He is proposing a partial, targeted step, described as straightforward and urgent. Whether that description holds will depend on how Brussels, Whitehall and business groups assess the legal and negotiating costs, which he did not detail in the reported remarks.
In my view, the messenger matters as much as the message. A former chancellor willing to describe Brexit in such stark terms widens what can be said openly about trade policy. The call does not change government policy. It makes a return to the customs union a clearer option for future ministers to support or reject.
