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# Claim a Customs Union deal means not leaving the EU is False
- URL: https://www.theferret.scot/customs-union-eu-deal-brexit/
- Published: 2019-04-25T08:17:50.000Z
- Updated: 2021-01-06T14:35:56.000Z
- Author: Alastair Brian
- Tags: Politics and power, Fact Checks, #davesutton2gmail-com, Politics, Brexit, customs union, European Union, Femi Oluwole, Good Morning Britain, Ken Clarke, People's Vote, referendum, Richard Madeley, Single market, Theresa May, trade bloc, WTO, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-10-15 12:08, #older_unmetered

**Richard Madeley has waded into the Brexit debate, after an exchange with a campaigner on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.**

The presenter was interviewing Femi Oluwole, an anti-Brexit activist and supporter of a second referendum.

\[sc name=”FFS”\]

During their debate, Madeley [suggested that a deal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekyRATHy7C4&ref=theferret.scot) which involved staying in the Customs Union did not amount to leaving the European Union.

\[aesop\_quote type=”block” background=”#282828″ text=”#ffffff” align=”center” size=”1.5″ quote=”The deal “doesn’t \[take the UK out of the EU\] because it keeps us in the Customs Union,” cite=”Richard Madeley” parallax=”off” direction=”left” revealfx=”off”\]

Ferret Fact Service looked at this claim and found it to be **False.**

### Evidence

The various different possible outcomes for Brexit are still being debated, as the UK and European Union remain without a negotiated deal.

Theresa May agreed an extension, currently until [31 October 2019](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47889404?ref=theferret.scot), as she attempts to get a deal through at Westminster.

MPs rejected [all four options](https://www.theferret.scot/ffs-explains-scottish-mps-and-the-brexit-votes/) in the most recent round of voting. The one which gained the most support was Ken Clarke’s Common Market deal. This would mean agreeing to “negotiate a permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU” before leaving.

> [How did Scottish MPs vote over Brexit?](https://www.theferret.scot/ffs-explains-scottish-mps-and-the-brexit-votes/)

In the debate on [Good Morning Britain](https://www.itv.com/goodmorningbritain?ref=theferret.scot), People’s Vote campaigner [Femi Oluwole](https://www.ofoc.co.uk/40?ref=theferret.scot) advocated a public vote between a negotiated Brexit or remaining in the EU. This would remove the option of ‘no deal’.

This was challenged by Richard Madeley, who argued that if a negotiated deal included remaining in the Customs Union, it would not amount to leaving the EU.

This is not correct. The Customs Union is the [trade bloc](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/leaving-eu-customs-union-what-involved?ref=theferret.scot) of the European Union, allowing countries within the area to trade easily with each other, and also operating a [standard system of customs duties](https://ec.europa.eu/taxation%5Fcustoms/facts-figures/eu-customs-union-unique-world%5Fen?ref=theferret.scot) (tax on imported goods and services) for importing outwith the bloc.

It is a central part of the way the EU operates and allows goods to travel easily within the area. All the customs union members are [part of the EU](http://trade.ec.europa.eu/tradehelp/eu-customs-union?ref=theferret.scot) except for Monaco and some British sovereign base areas who do most of their business through the UK and France.

Turkey, Andorra and San Marino, who are not EU members, have [negotiated Customs Union](https://ec.europa.eu/taxation%5Fcustoms/business/calculation-customs-duties/rules-origin/customs-unions%5Fen?ref=theferret.scot) arrangements with the EU, allowing them access to the trade bloc, although some things are excluded.

If the UK was able to negotiate a deal to stay within the Customs Union, it would likely [not be allowed](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/leaving-eu-customs-union-what-involved?ref=theferret.scot) to negotiate other bilateral trade deals. This has been a controversial point for many Brexit supporters and campaigners, who see remaining within the Customs Union as a [hindrance](https://lawyersforbritain.org/staying-in-the-eu-customs-union-after-exit?ref=theferret.scot) to Britain’s economic independence.

\[aesop\_video src=”youtube” id=”ekyRATHy7C4″ width=”600px” align=”center” disable\_for\_mobile=”on” loop=”off” controls=”on” autoplay=”off” mute=”off” viewstart=”off” viewend=”on” revealfx=”off” overlay\_revealfx=”off”\]

Exiting the Customs Union means Britain striking its [own bilateral trade agreements](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/leaving-eu-customs-union-what-involved?ref=theferret.scot) with countries across the globe. In a no deal scenario, the UK would fall back to existing [World Trade Organisation rules](https://ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/no-deal-the-wto-option/?ref=theferret.scot), which would mean significant tariffs on UK imports and exports.

Ken Clarke’s [approach](https://commonsvotes.digiminster.com/Divisions/Details/666?ref=theferret.scot) would see the UK negotiating a Customs Union with the EU, however it is not yet clear what this would result in, and what the EU would be willing to accept. Currently the EU has customs arrangements with Turkey, Andorra and San Marino.

However, the Customs Union forms only one part of membership of the EU and it is possible to be part of the bloc [without being a member](https://ec.europa.eu/taxation%5Fcustoms/business/calculation-customs-duties/rules-origin/customs-unions%5Fen?ref=theferret.scot) of the EU. Whether or not the UK manages to negotiate a Customs Union deal as part of a Theresa May’s negotiations, the UK would still be ending its membership of European Union.

The UK would not send MEPs to the European Parliament, would not be bound by many EU regulations and would not take an active role within EU decision making.

### Ferret Fact Service verdict: False

Richard Madeley’s claim that staying in the Customs Union would mean the UK not leaving the EU is false. It is possible to be part of a customs union with the European Union without being a member of the European Union. Therefore, a brexit deal that includes remaining in a customs union arrangement would not require the UK to remain a member of the European Union and would not, on its own, be equivalent to full membership.

![This claim is false](https://theferret.scot/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/FFS_Scale_5False.png)

**Ferret Fact Service (FFS)* is a non-partisan fact checker, working to the International Fact-Checking Network fact-checkers’ code of principles. All the sources used in our checks are publicly available and the FFS fact-checking methodology [can be viewed here](https://www.theferret.scot/ferret-fact-service/). Want to suggest a fact check? Email us at [factcheck@theferret.scot](mailto:factcheck@theferret.scot) or join our [Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/ferretunderground/).*