Sir Keir Starmer hardened Labour’s position on Brexit to take on Nigel Farage’s Reform UK as he battles to remain Prime Minister.
He signalled that the Government would move Britain closer to the Single Market to try to undo some of the economic damage caused from quitting the European Union.
He also hit out at Mr Farage, a key architect of Brexit, accusing him of “peddling falsehoods” about the benefits of splintering away from the European economic bloc which have failed to materialise.
Sir Keir toughened the Government’s stance on Brexit, having previously shied away from talking about the issue, as Labour is facing a hammering at May elections for local councils in England, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly.
Disastrous results for Labour could spark moves to oust him as PM, according to some MPs.
But Sir Keir warned his party against attempts to remove him from No10, arguing it would be a return to the “utter chaos” of the Tories which saw so many Prime Ministers in recent years.
He stressed that such political volatility was not in the UK’s “national interest” and was one of the reasons why the Conservatives were “booted out” in a historic election defeat.
Vowing to fight moves to topple him, he added: “I was elected on a five-year mandate to change this country, I intend to deliver on that mandate.
“I will be judged at the next General Election on whether we have brought about the change people voted for.”
The UK has already taken steps to align more closely with the EU including on food and agriculture as British businesses have been calling for closer ties to boost trade.
In a wide-ranging New Year interview on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Sir Keir stressed: “We’re already aligning on energy, reconnecting to energy in Europe on emissions, but I think the Single Market further alignment, as I say, if it’s in our interest to do so, we should take that step.”
The Prime Minister has come under pressure from Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who is seen at Westminster to be preparing a leadership bid if Sir Keir is ousted, as well as Justice Secretary David Lammy to move towards closer Customs Union ties with Brussels.
But the premier stressed that given the trade deals with the US and India “we are better looking to the Single Market rather than the Customs Union for our further alignment”.
He ruled out re-adopting freedom of movement which would be required to go back into the Single Market.
But Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel accused the Prime Minister of a “betrayal becoming clearer by the day” on Brexit.
She said: "In a desperate bid to appease his backbenchers, Keir Starmer is pursuing alignment with the Single Market - surrendering our freedom to cut regulation and strike our own trade deals.”
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In the interview, Sir Keir also:
* Did not criticise Donald Trump for the US military operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro who was widely seen to have stayed in power for many years through fixed elections.
* Claimed there would be signs of rising living standards in the UK this year.
* Stressed progress was being made on peace plans for Ukraine between the US and Europe, though so far Vladimir Putin has rejected proposals to end the war which he started in February 2022.
* Insisted more asylum hotels would be closed as part of moves to tackle the “small boats” crisis which so far are largely seen to have failed, with more than 41,000 people having made the dangerous Channel crossings last year.
Polls show Labour has lost a huge amount of the support which gave Sir Keir a Commons majority of more than 170 at the General Election last July, with the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rachel Reeves seeing their popularity plunging.
While Reform UK has surged into a comfortable poll lead, Labour has lost more voters to the Greens and Liberal Democrats in many parts of the country.
With polls showing more and more people believing that Brexit was a mistake, Sir Keir is gambling that Labour can claw back some support while improving the UK economy through closer ties with the EU.
Even Mr Farage admits Brexit has been a failure but has sought to blame the Tories for not delivering it properly.
