With the spectre of Nigel Farage looming, Keir Starmer on closer relations
Naomi Smith is the Chief Executive of Best for Britain, which campaigns for closer UK-EU ties
Damage. Drama. Division. If Brexit marked a low ebb in British politics, then last Monday’s reset summit signalled the first concrete evidence that things might be getting better. A new defence pact, with a commitment to agree on agri-food standards, youth mobility and a lot more besides – these are things which can make us more secure, lower costs and increase opportunities. If there was any doubt, people who have been longing for a rapprochement with our largest market and closest neighbours should bank this as a win. The risk now is that both the EU Commission and the UK Government sees it as job done, rather than the first step towards more alignment. To do so could prove fatal, not just for economic growth, but for Labour’s chances of staying in power. With the spectre of Nigel Farage looming, Starmer must deliver on last Monday’s promises. Failure to do so could be existential.
While I wish I could say this historic Summit means we can all stop talking about Brexit, this is the start of a long road to repair this most important relationship. Geographic reality means Europe will remain our largest and most important trading partner; with improved relations key for our economic security and boosting living standards. That’s why the Prime Minister must go much further – must harness this sense of momentum – and stop at nothing to secure the equitable growth the UK’s workers, families and communities so desperately need. No other set of policies in his and Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ arsenal comes close to having the same impact, and we need them to embark on the heavy lifting.
Now is the time to push for the measures on safety standards, professional qualifications and rules of origin that we know are required. Best for Britain has repeatedly demonstrated how these could cut red tape, reduce business and consumer costs, make it easier to work with international partners, and boost exports, benefitting our economy and beginning to ease the cost of living, especially in the Midlands and north of England. Now is also the time to fiercely make the case for a youth mobility scheme – now rebranded as a Youth Experience Scheme (YES) – and the invaluable opportunities this would offer our future generations, expanding their horizons through new jobs, qualifications, relationships and life experiences.
Reaching an agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, otherwise known as food safety and animal and plant health rules, is great news for one part of one industry and not to be dismissed. But to unlock the real growth potential on offer we need the same for all parts of the supply chains of all industries. That means removing the artificial barriers to trade through mutual recognition of conformity assessments (MRCAs) and mutual recognition of professional qualifications (MRPQs). I’ll spare you any more jargon but – in short – cutting red tape saves everyone money, allows British businesses and professionals to sell to and work in and with Europe more easily, and makes the UK more competitive. What’s more, it’s popular with the public. Starmer’s approach has been tentative – ruling out a return to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement under the so-called ‘red lines’ – but thanks to the detailed polling Best for Britain has undertaken, the Prime Minister can be secure in the knowledge that when it comes to improving trade with the EU, the country is squarely behind him. In every constituency, including Clacton-on-Sea, the public want the EU prioritised.
However, that backing is far from guaranteed. Despite winning a historic majority, Labour’s support has plummeted in the polls since July, and the recent local election results indicate a deep unhappiness, and growing resentment, increasingly baked in towards politicians. Reform UK are hoovering up that bitter frustration – and this mood isn’t unique to Britain. A canvasser friend, doorknocking in a US swing state ahead of the November 2024 election, shared the memorable words of one voter, who’d switched from Obama, to Trump, to Biden, and back again. Before the 2008 financial crisis, he’d had a good job, a family home and expected to send his children to college. Now? He was unemployed, renting, and – he felt – with no hope of providing a better future for his family. “I’ll keep firing presidents until my life improves,” he observed.
Labour must heed the lessons of Biden’s presidency: that it’s no good warning voters your opponents could break this country when, for so many, their lives, communities and public services feel broken anyway. We can only keep the hard right out of power if people feel decisively better off, safer, and listened to, the next time they stand pencil in hand in a polling booth. Closer ties with the EU, a stronger relationship with our closest, largest and most reliable trading partners, and a unified front across Europe, is the way to achieve this.
Starmer, Rayner, and Reeves promised change. We can’t let them forget that. This deal is a decent start, but there’s more; much, much more to do. And the stakes? Well, they’ve never been higher.
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