Can the UK really ‘reset’ relations with the EU?
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Keir Starmer says he wants to fix the UK's broken relationship with the EU left behind by the previous government, but could this be a challenge given there are certain areas of cooperation he refuses to delve into?
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In brief…
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer met German Olaf Scholz to explore collaborating on areas like trade, defence, and tackling illegal migration as he tries improve the UK-EU relationship.
- But there are key red lines for Starmer, like rejoining the single market and customs union, that could make striking a deal more difficult.
- So does “resetting” relations with the EU signify “tonal" rather than "structural" changes? The News Agents ask.
What’s the story?
Keir Starmer met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday to strike up closer ties as part of a drive to “reset” relations with EU countries.
But as Britain attempts to bolster partnerships on areas like trade, defence, and tackling illegal migration, there are certain areas for potential collaboration - such as freedom of movement - that the government refuses to cross over into.
So the question is, can the UK really fix its damaged relationship with Europe, despite the clear red lines Starmer doesn’t want to breach?
And if so, what shape would this “reset” with the EU really take?
What did Starmer say?
Starmer said the UK needs to “turn a corner on Brexit” and “fix the broken relationships left behind by the previous government.”
This is because strengthening relations with EU nations is not only crucial to “tackling the global problem of illegal migration, but also in boosting economic growth across the continent and crucially in the UK – one of the key missions of my government”, he said.
It comes ahead of his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron as Starmer tries to take advantage of a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset our relationship”.
Starmer said he hopes to sign a treaty with Scholz on defence, energy security, science and technology and other things, by early 2025.
While he said he was "absolutely clear" the government needs to reset relations, he said it does not mean “reversing Brexit or re-entering the single market or the customs union”.
Whatever the outcome of today's talks in Berlin, notable in such a short time in office how often Starmer has made a point of meeting with his senior European counterparts. In less than two months today will be his fifth meeting with Scholz and fourth with Macron.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) August 28, 2024
What does a “reset” actually mean?
This is a question Lewis Goodall puts to Miguel Berger, the German Ambassador to the UK, in a discussion on Starmer and Scholz’s meeting during an episode of The News Agents.
According to Berger, it means harnessing the “potential for developing relationships in a much broader way.”
He added: “It makes such a difference that we are dealing now with a government who doesn't have a problem to speak with the EU Commission, to travel to Brussels to reach out to the European Union.”
That differs from the Brexit negotiations of the Boris Johnson years, when relations infamously became sour amid threats to trigger Article 16.
So with a change in leadership, perhaps a reset means an abandonment of any previous bad blood.
But Lewis questions whether this reduces a reset to simply a “tonal change”, rather than seeing any big “structural changes”, given it has refused to scrap any part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).
What are Starmer’s red lines?
One red line, as Lewis points out, is Britain remaining outside of the single market and the Customs Union. That is something Labour pledged to do in its manifesto and committed to again today.
Berger said: “The fact that there are red lines and things that cannot be done limit the possible scope of future agreements. “[Things like] excluding a customs union means, obviously, that certain things cannot be done”.
This could make it a challenge for Starmer to improve the Brexit deal negotiated by the last Conservative government, which Labour has made clear it wants to do.
Freedom of movement is another such red line Starmer appears unwilling to cross.
Today, he ruled out a “youth mobility scheme" that would allow the free movement of German young people to the UK.
But Berger noted: “There are many areas, despite all these limitations, where I see potential for a stronger relationship.
"There are ample possibilities to strengthen our cooperation respecting these red lines.”
Listen in full on today's episode of The News Agents
