Scottish Labour leader urges UK to rejoin EU

Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra has called for the UK to rejoin the European Union, saying it should be a long-term national objective and urging UK Labour to include the proposal in its next general election manifesto. He said Scottish Labour would work to make rejoining happen, while stressing that the position is not UK Labour or government policy.

Marra set out the position in a speech in Edinburgh, describing it as a distinct Scottish Labour stance. He said he had written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham to argue that rejoining should be considered in Britain’s long-term debate about its relationship with Europe. Marra said the UK should go beyond closer ties with the bloc and make returning to membership its eventual goal.

The call marks a change from Marra’s earlier assessment that rejoining was not a realistic prospect for a generation or more. He said he had been troubled by that answer and now wanted to help change what was politically possible. He said he did not expect rejoining to happen quickly and did not see it happening within the next two years.

Marra argued that reducing barriers with European countries could help Scottish businesses grow, attract investment...