Political reporter
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has stated it’s time to transfer on from “political fights” about Brexit, because the UK and the European Union agreed to a serious reset of relations.
The UK and the EU have struck a deal that covers fishing, commerce, defence, power and strengthening ties in numerous coverage areas nonetheless up for negotiation.
A key a part of the deal includes giving European fishing boats an additional 12 years of entry to British waters in alternate for alleviating some commerce frictions.
It marks the largest reboot because the UK formally left the EU in 2020 and comes after years of disagreements over Brexit.
The Conservatives and Reform UK have described the deal as a “surrender” to the EU, whereas the Liberal Democrats stated the federal government had taken some “positive first steps” to rebuilding ties with Europe.
The settlement was finalised late on Sunday, forward of a summit involving EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa in London on Monday.
“It’s time to look forward,” Sir Keir stated on the summit.
“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 able to work with companions if it means we will enhance individuals’s lives right here at house.”
At a news conference, European Commission President von der Leyen described the summit as a “historic second” that was only possible “due to the management” of Sir Keir.
“We’re turning a web page,” she said. “We’re opening a brand new chapter in our relationship.”
The president said the deal would make “an actual distinction to individuals within the UK and throughout our union” at a time of global instability.
The government said the deal would make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by reducing paperwork and checks.
Some routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed completely, the government said.
In return, the UK will give the EU access to its fishing waters until 2038 – a 12-year extension of arrangements already in place.
One diplomatic source said it amounted to a rollover of the existing terms agreed as part of the revised withdrawal agreement negotiated by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government in 2019.
The text of the deal says: “We word the political agreements resulting in full reciprocal entry to waters to fish till 30 June 2038 and increasing power cooperation on a steady foundation.”
The post-Brexit deal on fishing rights, which gave EU boats continued access to UK waters, was set to expire at the end of June 2026.
The UK government has also unveiled a £360m investment fund in coastal communities and the fishing industry.
Fishing only accounts for an estimated 0.4% of UK GDP, but British control over its fishing waters was a big issue in the Brexit campaign.
Defending the agreement, Sir Keir said it would allow British fishing communities to “promote extra simply into the European market” and give them “stability over the long run”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the 12-year deal on access for European boats “would be the finish of the fishing business”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the prime minister “should ignore the naysayers and dinosaurs in Reform and the Conservative Party and be extra bold in getting one of the best deal within the nationwide curiosity”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said giving the EU access to British waters for 12 years “was thrice longer than the federal government wished”.
“We’re changing into a rule-taker from Brussels as soon as once more,” she said.
The deal requires the UK to follow rules set by Brussels in areas covering food trade, emissions trading and potential co-operation in the electricity market.
Known as dynamic alignment, this arrangement would mean the UK giving the European Court of Justice a role in any trading disputes.
In a post on X, Johnson said under this “promote out of a deal the UK should settle for EU regulation on a bunch of measures from meals requirements to emissions buying and selling”.
He said Sir Keir had agreed that the UK “will as soon as once more be paying numerous thousands and thousands of kilos into EU coffers – for the privilege of changing into the non-voting punk of the EU Commission”.
The prime minister’s spokesperson said payments to the EU in relation to the deals on agricultural products and energy were “not huge”, but not did confirm the costs.
The government said there was a difference between these “administrative prices” and the payments required to be part of EU programmes, which would be part of future negotiations.
A security pact is also central to the agreement, as European nations come under pressure to invest more in defence to support Ukraine as it faces Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The agreement paves the way for the UK to participate in the EU’s proposed new £150bn defence fund, opening up opportunities for UK arms firms to bid for defence contracts.
The government said British businesses will not be hit by an EU carbon tax due to come in next year, under plans to link emissions-trading schemes.
The agreements on trade and energy would add nearly £9bn to the UK economy by 2040, the government estimated.
Other announcements include:
- Further co-operation on a youth mobility scheme. The scheme, which would be capped and time-limited, would mirror existing schemes the UK has with countries such as Australia and New Zealand
- A commitment to work towards the UK joining the Erasmus programme, an EU initiative that provides funding for student exchanges and training across Europe
- Allowing British travellers to use more passport e-gates – automated self-service barriers at European airports
- Working more closely together on developing energy networks, especially in the North Sea, and exploring the possibility of the UK joining the EU’s internal electricity market
- British steel exports will be protected from new EU rules and tariffs
- More co-operation on tackling illegal migration, including sharing more intelligence.
The reset comes after years of ill-tempered relations between the UK and the EU over Brexit, which triggered one of the most tumultuous periods in British political history.
Since Labour took office last year, governments worldwide have been forced to rethink their relationships on trade and defence, in response to US President Donald Trump’s policies and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ministers believe there is no public clamour to reopen the biggest questions of Brexit – membership of the single market and customs union.
Polling by YouGov suggests a majority of Britons now regret the Brexit vote and favour closer ties with the EU.
But the Labour government’s reset of EU relations comes at a time when Reform UK – a Eurosceptic party – is leading in the polls.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9v28r7vlxo