Keir Starmer vowed to ‘move on’ from Brexit battles today as he sealed a ‘reset’ deal despite alarm over huge concessions.
The Prime Minister declared ‘Britain is back on the world stage’ as he held a joint press conference with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at a summit in London.
Sir Keir said the agreement was a ‘win-win’ that would bring down food prices and revive exports.
However, there are already massive concerns over the price the UK has paid in return for smoother trade.
EU fishing boats will be guaranteed access to UK waters on the current terms for 12 years, after the French mounted a last-minute ambush demanding longer guarantees than the four years Sir Keir originally offered. Ministers have announced a £360million fund to help appease furious coastal communities.
Sir Keir has signed the UK up in principle to a ‘youth experience’ arrangement giving millions of Europeans rights to live, study and work here for up to three years. Officials stressed it would be ‘capped and time limited’, arguing the Government’s crackdown on immigration will not be compromised.
In return, the deal would see checks on lorries taking food to the continent lifted permanently – ending the so-called ‘sausage wars’. That is supposed to boost the economy by £9billion by 2040.
However, the UK will have to accept ‘dynamic alignment’ with Brussels rules in the sector. The details also reveal that Britain will need to make ‘an appropriate financial contribution’ to the EU’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) systems.
Defence firms will gain access to a £126billion EU-wide weapons fund, although British taxpayers face having to pay millions for the privilege.
British tourists are set to be spared queues when travelling to the continent, with permission to use e-gates at European airports – although Sir Keir acknowledged that would be down to individual EU countries to implement.
Red tape on taking pets abroad will be also eased.
Many of the key issues are being fudged, involving broad commitments and details that will be finalised later.
Sir Keir Starmer declared he is drawing a line under ‘stale debates’ as he hosted EU commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at a summit in London
Sir Keir vowed to ‘move on’ from Brexit battles today as he sealed a ‘reset’
Sir Keir greeted Ms von der Leyen warmly as she arrived at Lancaster House today
Sir Keir with the EU Commission chief and European Council president Antonio Costa today
The French are said to have mounted a last-minute ambush on fishing, demanding longer-term guarantees over access to UK coastal waters (file picture of boats in Shetland)
Sir Keir said this morning that he would ‘close a deal in the national interest’
Ms von der Leyen said they were ‘writing a new chapter’ between the EU and UK
Kemi Badenoch pointed out that 12 years of fishing rights would be three times longer than the Government originally wanted
Scottish Tory MP John Lamont said the fishing terms were the ‘latest Starmer sellout’
After greeting Ms von der Leyen warmly at the Lancaster House gathering, Sir Keir said: ‘It’s time to look forward.
‘To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.
‘We’re ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people’s lives here at home.
‘So that’s what this deal is all about – facing out into the world once again, in the great tradition of this nation. Building the relationships we choose, with the partners we choose, and closing deals in the national interest. Because that is what independent, sovereign nations do.’
Ms von der Leyen highlighted her own experience as a student in London – when she lived under an alias for fear of being kidnapped by the Baader Meinhof terror gang – as she praised the youth mobility scheme.
But Kemi Badenoch pointed out that 12 years of fishing rights would be three times longer than the Government originally wanted. ‘We’re becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again,’ she warned.
Nigel Farage said it would be ‘the end of the fishing industry’.
Under the terms of Boris Johnson’s 2020 Brexit deal, the EU gave up 25 per cent of its fishing quotas – phased up to 2026. From next year there were due to be annual negotiations, which the UK fishing industry hoped would provide leverage to restore its hold.
However, quotas will now be frozen until at least 2038.
The Government pointed to a 21 per cent drop in exports and 7 per cent drop in imports since Brexit.
It said the pact means UK firms will now be able to sell products such as burgers and sausages in the EU again.
The UK and EU Emissions Trading Systems will be linked, with officials saying that will avoid an £800million charge that would have gone directly to the EU’s budget.
The Government claims the SPS and Emissions Trading Systems elements together will add £9billion to GDP by 2040.
Ministers say protections for British steel exports will save the struggling UK industry £25million a year.
In a relief to holidaymakers, Britons will be able to use more eGates in Europe.
‘Pet passports’ will also be available for UK cats and dogs, doing away with the need to have ‘animal health certificates’ for every trip.
Talks will be held on UK law enforcement agencies getting access to EU facial images data for the first time, on top of the existing arrangements for DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data.
At Lancaster House, Sir Keir said: ‘This is the first UK-EU summit, and it marks a new era in our relationship.
‘It’s really good that we’re able to meet around this table for this summit, the first of what will be of many summits as we progress through this new era.
‘We on this side are following through on what the British public voted for last year and the mission of this Government to deliver security and renewal for our country and improve the lives of working people in uncertain times – a new era for defence, security and trade.
‘We will do that by strengthening our relationships with allies around the world, including, of course, with Europe.
‘So that is what today is all about, moving on from stale old debates, looking forward, not backwards, focusing on what we can do together to deliver in the national interest.’
He added: ‘We are agreeing a new strategic partnership fit for our times, providing real, tangible benefits on security, irregular migration, energy prices, agri-food, trade and more, bringing down bills, creating jobs and protecting our borders.
‘We have delivered this progress through hard work together at every level, and teams have identified the areas where we can make a real difference while protecting our sovereignty and independence.
‘I want to thank the negotiating teams on both sides, and I want to thank all of you for your engagement on this.
‘The documents that we have before us today represent a strong package that will benefit all of our peoples.
Tories condemned the PM for ‘surrendering’ to the EU with the deal today
‘We must now move swiftly together on the detailed work to make these plans a reality.’
In a round of interviews earlier, Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the deal was a ‘solid eight out of 10’ and a ‘real prize’ for the country.
‘The current deal has huge gaps in it, not just on areas to do with trade, but to do with security as well,’ he told Times Radio.
‘So this is about making people better off, about making the country more secure, about making sure there are more jobs in the UK.’
Mr Reynolds made clear a youth mobility scheme would have a cap on numbers, insisting other existing arrangements were ‘limited’ and ‘targeted’.
‘It’s not the kind of access people had when we were members of the European Union,’ he said.
‘I think last year, we issued, as a country, about 24,000 visas for the various youth mobility schemes. So this is not immigration, it’s not freedom of movement. It’s something very different.
‘Any scheme like this, if you look at the 13 we already have, they are capped, yes,’ he added.
Both Ms Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have already described the deal as a ‘surrender’.
Mrs Badenoch said she fears a youth mobility scheme will be a return to free movement ‘by the back door’.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy and fellow minister Steve Doughty arriving at Lancaster House today
The EU’s Maros Sefcovic (left) was greeted by Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds today
Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds confirmed this morning that the terms had been sealed, following a frantic final few hours of haggling
Both Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch (pictured) and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have already described the deal as a ‘surrender’
The Tories have also set out a series of ‘red lines’ on fishing rights, including ensuring exclusive access to Britain’s territorial sea and resisting ‘a multi-year agreement which only benefits France’.
What does Starmer’s Brexit ‘reset’ mean for YOU?
European boats fishing in UK waters until 2038
European fishing vessels will be given a further 12 years of access to British waters as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘reset’ with Brussels.
A late-night deal was struck with the European Union ahead of Monday’s major summit with Brussels chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.
There will be no change to current access to fish for coastal communities and no reduction in the British quota or increase in the quota the EU is allowed to catch, it is understood.
European fishing vessels will be given a further 12 years of access to British waters as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘reset’ with Brussels
There will be no change to current access to fish for coastal communities and no reduction in the British quota or increase in the quota the EU is allowed to catch, it is understood
But the deal means European vessels will enjoy the same post-Brexit access they have had until 2038, 12 years after the current arrangement expires.
The scale of the deal blindsided UK fishing organisations.
The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation insisted that the new deal ‘is a horror show for Scottish fishermen’.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government criticised UK ministers for the inclusion of fisheries – an area where responsibility is devolved to Holyrood – in the agreement without its approval on this.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the fishing agreement, saying: ’12 years access to British waters is three times longer than the Government wanted.
‘We’re becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again.’
Security and Defence Partnership allowing UK firms to bid for £125billion EU military contracts
Britain and the EU have today agreed a new security and defence partnership that will open up a major EU rearmament investment scheme to UK firms.
The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative has been set up by Brussels following Donald Trump‘s threats to scrap American security guarantees for the continent.
The multi-billion fund will allow EU member states to take out loans for weapons from funds raised against the EU budget.
But there are strict rules on where arms can be purchased from, with initial fears that British defence firms would be excluded from the fund.
France was leading efforts to keep UK firms such as Babcock out, or at least limit the extent to which British firms could bid, as it seeks to protect its own companies
A diplomatic source yesterday told The Mail on Sunday Britain could have to pay ‘hundreds of millions’ for access
France was leading efforts to keep the UK out, or at least limit the extent to which its firms could bid, as it seeks to protect its own companies.
Some fear the Defence and Security Partnership could mean British servicemen taking part in EU civilian and military operations.
And a diplomatic source yesterday told The Mail on Sunday Britain could have to pay ‘hundreds of millions’ for access.
Quicker travel on holiday for you and your pets
British holidaymakers will be able to use more eGates in the EU and pets will be able to travel more easily under the Brexit reset deal.
At the moment, EU citizens can use e-Gates in the UK – but British passport holders cannot use European e-Gates, aside from a limited number of airports in Spain and Portugal.
At the moment, EU citizens can use e-Gates in the UK – but British passport holders cannot use European e-Gates
The changes will come into effect after the introduction of the ‘European Union Entry/Exit System’ which aims to make border checks in the Schengen area more secure.
The new system is expected to start in October 2025, but it is not clear how long after this that Britons will be able to start using e-Gates.
Ministers hope holidaymakers will benefit from reduced queues at border control as a result of the changes.
The agreement will also enable pets to travel more easily, with the introduction of ‘pet passports’ for UK cats and dogs – eliminating the need for animal health certificates for every trip.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said the announcement was ‘a significant breakthrough for British travellers’.
Deal leaves open the door to free movement for young adults
The leaked text of the deal states it is ‘in the mutual interest’ to ‘deepen our people-to-people ties, particularly for the younger generation’.
It proposes a ‘youth experience scheme’ so that young people can move between the EU and UK for ‘such as work, studies, au-pairing, volunteering, or simply travelling’.
There will be a ‘dedicated visa path’ and participants would only be allowed to live overseas ‘for a limited period of time’, while the numbers involved would have to be ‘acceptable to both sides’.
But there is no more detail with ‘terms to be agreed’ between the two sides at a later date.
There is no mention of an exact limit on numbers arriving but Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds assured LBC this morning: ‘There is a cap on all of these schemes.’
He pointed out that only 24,000 visas were issued by the UK last year across the 13 existing exchange schemes with countries around the world including Australia.
UK to follow EU farming rules ‘to make food cheaper’
Britain has agreed to follow EU food and farming rules forever in return for cuts in red tape which ministers say will cut prices in supermarkets.
The new deal will tear up most of the EU food and farming checks imposed after Brexit, ending the so-called ‘sausage wars’ which made it hard for British food producers to export to the continent.
British checks on EU food will also be reduced in a move which No 10 said would ‘make food cheaper’.
The new deal will tear up most of the EU food and farming checks imposed after Brexit, ending the so-called ‘sausage wars’ which made it hard for British food producers to export to the continent.
In return, the UK will have to follow almost all EU rules on food and farming standards. Controversially, this will include adopting new EU laws in the sector in future. This so-called ‘dynamic alignment’ will make the UK a ‘rule taker’, undermining one of the key principles of Brexit that the UK should set its own laws.
Britain will also have to accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in settling any disputes.
And the UK has agreed to make an ‘appropriate financial contribution’ to the EU budget to help cover the cost of relevant Brussels agencies.
The move is likely to be welcomed by food producers who have faced a blizzard of red tape since Brexit. It will also ease the rules on sending food produce from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Downing Street said the deal, couple with an agreement on carbon emissions, could eventually be worth £9 billion to the economy.
