Brexit: Labour abandons free movement as shadow chancellor says ‘we moved on’
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said this morning free movement is no longer a Labour party policy.
The senior Labour figure told the Today Program: “We moved on, we voted for that deal last year… it was better than no deal. We’re not going to bring back free movement under a Labour Government.”
In separate comments, Reeves said she blamed the Government and its immigration policies for the crisis hitting petrol stations and shops.
She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Since last year I have been meeting and talking with the Road Haulage Association and hauliers about some of the problems coming down the line.”
“The Government ignored those problems, which is why we are now facing the situation where people go to the supermarkets and see shortages of goods on the shelves, and why they are queuing up at petrol stations and not being able to fill up their tank, Reeves said.
“That is not acceptable, this is an out-of-touch and complacent government.”
She added: “Most people couldn’t care less whether the HGV is being driven by a British worker or a foreign worker.
“What they want to know is when they get to the petrol station, they are able to fill up their car; when they are trying to get presents for their kids at Christmas they are going to be delivered; and when they are trying to order food it is available in our supermarkets and on online deliveries.
“At the moment, because of this Government’s out-of-touch, complacent and negligent nature, those things are not guaranteed.”