
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has unveiled a new trade agreement with the European Union, describing it as a “win-win” that marks the “start of a new era” in UK-EU relations. The deal, announced following a summit in London on Monday, aims to reset post-Brexit relations and move beyond previous disputes.
“The EU and the UK wanting to work together; all of us prepared to say, let yesterday be yesterday; we are looking forward to tomorrow,” Sir Keir stated during an event at Downing Street where he welcomed UK and EU business representatives. “We are not going to litigate old arguments; we are going to go forward in the spirit of what we do togetherโwe do better.”
The wide-ranging agreement includes provisions allowing more British travelers to use passport e-gates when visiting Europe and offers farmers easier access to EU markets through streamlined animal and plant product standards. A youth experience scheme enabling young Britons to study and live in Europe has also been established, alongside a new security and defense partnership.
According to government figures, this post-Brexit “reset” will reduce red tape for travelers and businesses, potentially boosting the economy by ยฃ9 billion by 2040.
However, the deal has faced criticism for extending European fishing trawlers’ access to British waters by an additional 12 years. The Prime Minister defended this decision, dismissing what he called the “myth that next year everybody was free to do what they liked” if the fishing agreement hadn’t been extended.
The Conservative Party has strongly criticized the agreement, with former minister Kemi Badenoch claiming, “This deal will mean Britain becoming a rule-taker, accepting dynamic alignment, giving up fishing rights, and paying new money to the EU.” She added that “nobody has lost more than the fishermen” as a result of the deal.
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage warned more severely that the 12-year fishing deal would mean “the end of the fishing industry.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the government’s approach to international trade, telling the BBC that the UK was in a “better place than any country in the world” on trade. “The first deal and the best deal so far with the US, we’ve got the best deal with the EU for any country outside the EU, and we’ve got the best trade agreement with India,” she said.
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