<\/p>\n
A deeper trading relationship with the EU would be the best way of growing Britain\u2019s economy, which has an \u201cuncomfortable\u201d level of tax, Wes Streeting<\/a> has said.<\/p>\n The health secretary said it would not be possible for any partnership with the EU to \u201creturn to freedom of movement\u201d, but his comments appeared to leave the door open to the idea of a customs union.<\/p>\n His remarks on the EU appear to go further than the government\u2019s position, which has ruled out a customs union as it seeks deeper trading relations with Brussels. Some in the cabinet would like No 10 to go further in its ambitions in order to improve the UK economy.<\/p>\n Streeting spoke out about the EU, the economy and his own ambitions in a wide-ranging interview with the Observer<\/a>, while stressing that he was not after Keir Starmer\u2019s job.<\/p>\n He said a deeper economic partnership with Europe<\/a> would be the best way of increasing growth, and suggested he would like to go further than the current reset with the EU, which he described as a \u201cgood start\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve taken a massive economic hit leaving the European Union<\/a>. I\u2019m really uncomfortable with the level of taxation in this country. We\u2019re asking a lot of individual taxpayers, we\u2019re asking a lot of businesses. We\u2019ve got a level of indebtedness that we need to take very seriously,\u201d he said. \u201cThe best way for us to get more growth into our economy is a deeper trading relationship with the EU.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason why leaving the EU hit us so hard as a country is because of the enormous economic benefits that came with being in the single market and the customs union. This is a country and a government that wants a closer trading relationship with Europe.<\/p>\n \u201cThe challenge is any economic partnership we have can\u2019t lead to a return to freedom of movement.\u201d<\/p>\n On his own brief, Streeting said the NHS<\/a> was \u201ccoping\u201d with resident doctors\u2019 strikes, but he was worried about its recovery as the industrial action enters its final day.<\/p>\n The health secretary told the Observer that the NHS was managing to get through the five-day action by the British Medical Association doctors<\/a> in England, but he was concerned about the period afterwards as the health service struggles with flu cases.<\/p>\n