EU leaders hope Keir Starmer will give in to two demands for a ‘reset’ | Politics | News

To “reset” relations with the Union, Prime Minister Keir Starmer may have to make two concessions to EU leaders – and both could infuriate Red Wall Labour voters.

Mr Starmer has sought to reset relations with a number of European countries in recent weeks, including high-level meetings with French President Emmanuel Marcon, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris.

During his trip to Dublin this weekend, the Prime Minister said there was a need to be “ambitious and bold” in considering regulatory and trade barrier reform, and expressed hope for a broader “reset” with the countries of the 27-nation bloc.

However, the Mail reports that politicians in Brussels are unhappy with Starmer’s approach of dealing with individual politicians rather than the EU as a whole.

One diplomat is quoted as saying: “The EU hates the idea of ​​small, separate agreements because they would damage the EU project. For them, it is all or nothing.”

And there are rumours that Starmer could be left empty-handed unless he gives in on key issues that may not please Labour voters who returned to Labour in the 2024 general election.

According to the Mail, Starmer would have to return freedom of movement for EU citizens under 30 to the UK as part of a youth exchange programme. Under the deal, young people in the UK would likely be able to regain this freedom of movement for EU countries as well.

The other proposed concession was that the Prime Minister would have to exempt EU students from the higher fees that British universities impose on other foreign students.

Writing for the newspaper, Glen Owens claimed: “If Sir Keir agrees, pro-Brexit voters – including those in the northern Red Wall constituencies that Labour won back from the Tories in the general election – are sure to revolt.”

“But if he doesn’t do that, he will come away empty-handed in all the talks.”

Mr Starmer had previously stated that the UK would not rejoin the customs union or the single market in his lifetime, and EU sources said he had to temper expectations about the possibility of a return.

As a result of these red lines, the Mail quoted a Labour source as saying that the Prime Minister had “manoeuvred himself into a dead end” because he could not offer “anything meaningful”.