Keir Starmer must set clear goals for UK-EU reset, warn diplomats

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Sir Keir Starmer must provide more clarity on his plans to improve the UK’s Brexit deal at a meeting next week with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, diplomats and analysts have warned.

The UK prime minister will meet von der Leyen in Brussels on Wednesday nearly three months after taking office amid continued divisions in his cabinet over whether to agree a youth mobility deal with the EU. This would enable young people to work and travel more freely in the UK and across the bloc.

However, after a summer of summits, bilateral visits and warm words, senior EU diplomats have indicated they are growing impatient with what they see as the UK’s unwillingness to set out clear objectives for the relationship. 

“The melody is there, but now we have to start concentrating on writing the lyrics,” said one senior diplomat. A second was more direct: “The UK needs to tell us what they want,” they said.

Labour has said that it wants a deep rapprochement with the EU but has ruled out rejoining the single market or seeking a customs union with Europe, preferring to seek additions and improvements to the existing Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

These include a “veterinary agreement” to reduce trade barriers on agrifoods, easier access for service professionals and a deal to reduce paperwork for touring musicians and other artists.

Analysts said Wednesday’s meeting was being seen in Brussels as a significant stepping stone to more detailed negotiations beyond Starmer’s general expressions of a desire for deeper co-operation with the EU on security, policing and trade.

“Starmer has to use the meeting to provide a greater, concrete sense of what the government actually wants to do. It can’t be another ‘mood music’ meeting — that won’t land well in Brussels,” said Mujtaba Rahman of the Eurasia Group political risk consultancy.

The prime minister will also see the presidents of the other big EU institutions, Charles Michel of the European Council of national leaders, and Roberta Metsola of the European parliament.

Differences have emerged between the two sides over the question of a youth mobility deal. Brussels has prioritised it as an important first expression of warmer ties but a deal has been rejected in London as appearing to be too close to the “free movement” of people that was ended by Brexit.

This week Pedro Serrano, EU ambassador to the UK, played down the youth mobility issue ahead of the meeting, suggesting the scheme should resemble a “gap year” programme that would not grant European citizens the right to work in Britain. The commission proposal, now being revised by member states, suggested four years’ residence for the under-30s.

However, speaking after Serrano’s intervention, Starmer reiterated his position that he has “no plans for a youth mobility scheme” between the UK and EU. He added that he shared the view of Yvette Cooper, UK home secretary, that it risked undermining public perceptions of the government’s approach to immigration.

Cooper wants to cut down on legal migration and to focus on training young people in Britain to fill skills shortages.

Despite the differences, UK ministers say they believe “landing zones can be found” on the issue, while arguing it is important not to “lose sight of the big picture” as the EU and the UK jointly face the challenges of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, populism and irregular migration.

UK chancellor Rachel Reeves is also pushing for an ambitious deal to reduce trade barriers with the EU, including telling the Financial Times before the election that she was willing to sign up to the Brussels rule book in certain sectors, including chemicals.

“Rachel is relaxed about that,” said one ally of the chancellor. “She doesn’t see any problem with being a rule taker in established industries.” The Starmer government is, however, still attached to the idea of Britain having regulatory flexibility in emerging technologies.

Reeves’s role in the forthcoming talks with the EU will be vital, given the chancellor’s focus on delivering the government’s overarching mission: boosting growth.

Her allies say the chancellor believes a compromise can be reached with Brussels on a youth mobility scheme but she also supports Cooper’s position that it cannot look anything like the pre-Brexit free movement of people.