Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second left, speaks to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, third right, during the first UK-EU Summit since Britain's withdrawal from the EU. Photo / Getty Images
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second left, speaks to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, third right, during the first UK-EU Summit since Britain's withdrawal from the EU. Photo / Getty Images
Britain and the EU announced deals on defence, security and food exports at a London summit.
Keir Starmer described the agreements as a “win-win”, aiming to revive Britain’s economy post-Brexit.
The deals include a 12-year fishing access agreement and a security pact for defence fund access.
The leaders of Britain and the European Union unveiled deals on defence, security and food exports at a landmark summit intended to usher in the most significant resetting of relations between the two sides since Brexit.
The summit, held in London, is the culmination of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’spush to rebuild ties with the EU – by far Britain’s biggest trading partner – and is the first major meeting between the two sides to be held on British soil since the 2016 referendum that led to Brexit, Britain’s exit from what is now a 27-member bloc.
Both parties took a conciliatory, upbeat tone. At a joint news conference on Monday, Starmer described the deals as a “win-win”, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “we are turning the page and opening a new chapter”.
The agreement does not undo Brexit. But the British Government hopes closer ties with the EU will help revive its sluggish economy. At the same time, both sides have drawn clear red lines, limiting the scope of any renewed relationship. Starmer, for instance, has ruled out rejoining the EU’s single market and customs union. For its part, the EU is wary of granting Britain the benefits of bloc membership without obligations, including financial contributions.
In a press release, Starmer’s office wrote: “After the 21% drop in exports and 7% drop in imports seen since Brexit, the UK will also be able to sell various products, such as burgers and sausages, back into the EU again, supporting these vital British industries.”
It said the agreement will add nearly £9 billion ($20b), to Britain’s economy by 2040.
The agreement includes a 12-year deal allowing European fishing crews continued access to British waters. In exchange, the EU agreed to reduce some of the red tape for British farms and fisheries that want to export their goods – including fish – into the bloc.
The parties also agreed to a security and defence pact that “paves the way” for Britain to gain access to the EU’s €125b ($237b) defence fund, to which London will also contribute.
In a sign of the tensions on both sides, talks ran until the 11th hour, with fisheries and a proposal over youth mobility emerging as sticking points.
Many of Scotland’s fishing areas voted for Brexit, thinking it would free them from European Union rules. Photo / The New York Times
Youth mobility
Before the summit, there was talk of an agreement that would allow young people in Britain and EU countries to live and work in either region for up to two years. Britain is concerned that such an agreement could push up immigration figures, which it has pledged to reduce.
In the end, much of the language in the agreement – or “common understanding” – was vague or promised further “exploratory talks”. The youth mobility plan was renamed a “youth experience scheme” that both sides agreed to “co-operate further on”.
The agreement has been months in the making. When Starmer took office last summer, he promised he would strengthen co-operation with the EU and embarked on a diplomatic tour of European capitals.
Despite the agreement’s vagueness on many issues, it appeared to indicate a clear tilt by Starmer towards Europe – a shift that drew criticism from some in Britain.
Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing, populist Reform UK party – and one of Britain’s most enthusiastic Brexit backers – has pledged to scrap the agreement if he becomes prime minister. He criticised the fisheries deal on social media, calling it “the end of the fishing industry”.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said Britain was becoming “a rule-taker from Brussels once again”.
“And with no details on any cap or time limits on youth mobility, fears of free movement returning will only increase. This is very concerning.”
The 2016 Brexit vote was dramatic and divisive in Britain, creating overnight tribes of “leavers” and “remainers”. It upended the political landscape, with the fallout toppling multiple prime ministers. Years later, the mood is more rueful. Surveys now show that a majority of Britons regret leaving the EU.
‘Horror show’
Some in Britain have accused Starmer of not doing enough to forge closer ties with the bloc. They include singer Elton John, who has campaigned to make it easier for British artists to tour the European Union. Others say Britain compromised too much, including the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, which called the agreement a “horror show”.
During the Brexit campaign, British fishing crews were told they would be able to “take back control” of British waters.
Starmer’s Labour Party has a commanding majority in Parliament, but it is facing growing pressure from Farage’s Reform UK, which recently scored major gains in council and mayoral elections in England and is leading in national polls.
This political uncertainty could hamper future talks, with EU officials hesitant to commit to long-term deals with a British government that may not last.
“Europeans can read polls; they know how our electoral system works,” said Rob Ford, a politics professor at the University of Manchester. Given Reform UK’s polling, European officials might think twice before engaging in “grinding, years-long negotiation” with Starmer only to see a successor “set it on fire”, he said. “That could put a limit on what’s achievable.”
