Starmer: Reset with EU will not reverse Brexit

Starmer: Reset with EU will not reverse Brexit

Sir Keir has previously stated that he intends to seek a better trade deal with the EU than the one negotiated by Boris Johnson in late 2020.

However, it’s still uncertain whether Brussels would be open to making significant changes to the UK’s current Brexit trade deal, which is set to be reviewed in 2026.

During a press conference, Sir Keir was asked about the concessions the UK might need to offer to secure an improved deal. The Prime Minister emphasized that the government is “absolutely clear” about wanting to reset relations with Europe.

He clarified, “This does not mean reversing Brexit or rejoining the single market or the customs union. But it does mean pursuing a closer relationship on several fronts, including the economy, defense, and exchanges.”

The single market allows for the free movement of goods, services, and people between member states, with shared rules and standards. The customs union is an agreement to eliminate tariffs on goods traded between EU countries and to apply the same tariffs on goods coming from outside the EU.

When asked if the UK would permit freedom of movement for young Germans, the Prime Minister responded, “We do not have plans for a youth mobility scheme, but we do intend to foster a closer relationship between the UK and the EU.”

The EU has proposed a youth mobility scheme, which would allow EU citizens aged 18 to 30 to study and work in the UK for a limited period, with young Britons granted the same opportunity in Europe in return.

Speaking after the news conference, Sir Keir insisted the planned treaty with Germany had “nothing to do with youth mobility”.

But when asked about the possibility of student exchanges between the UK and Germany, the prime minister said he wanted a “close relationship” including “education and cultural exchange”.

Sir Keir stressed that he and Mr. Scholz “didn’t go into the details of that today”, focusing more on illegal immigration.

In his opening remarks at the news conference, Mr. Scholz lamented how relations between Britons and Germans had waned after Brexit and the Covid pandemic, adding that he and Sir Keir “share similar views on this” and want to “intensify the exchanges”.

Earlier Nils Schmid, foreign affairs spokesperson for Mr Scholz’s Social Democratic Party, told the BBC a scheme making it easier for young Germans to travel to the UK to study was a “major feature of our wish list”.

He insisted such a scheme would not be about “immigration in a general sense”, but “stays of limited duration” for educational programs, student exchanges, or work experience.

Conservative shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake accused Sir Keir of “cozying up to politicians in Germany and calling for a closer relationship with Europe”.

“Starmer has spent his entire political career plotting to reverse Brexit, so it doesn’t take a genius to see where the new Labour government is headed,” he added.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokeswoman Layla Moran said the talks with Mr. Scholz were “a positive step forward after years of the Conservatives trashing the UK’s relationship with Europe”.

“But the new government needs to be more ambitious about rebuilding stronger ties with our European allies,” she added.

“That should start with agreeing a Youth Mobility Scheme giving young people the opportunity to easily live and work across the continent.”