UK and EU Hold Talks to Reset Post-Brexit Relations

Post by : Layla Badr

Photo: AFP

Sir Keir Starmer is meeting with top European Union (EU) leaders in London today. This meeting is a big step towards improving the UK’s relationship with the EU since Brexit. The goal is to reset how the UK and EU work together on things like defence, trade, fishing, and travel for young people.

Talks between the UK and the EU lasted late into Sunday night. People close to the talks said important progress has been made. One of the big meetings today will be between Sir Keir and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. This is their second meeting in just four days.

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Even though the final deal hasn’t been shared yet, some political leaders are already criticizing it. The leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, and the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, have both called it a “surrender.” But again, no one knows the exact details yet.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister in charge of UK-EU relations, is leading the talks for the UK. He said the main goal is to focus on jobs, lower household bills, and keeping the country’s borders strong. He also said the UK is confident about reaching a deal to make it easier to send and receive food between the UK and EU by cutting down on complicated paperwork.

Still, he didn’t give full details, saying that nothing will be final until every part of the deal is agreed.

One possible part of the deal could give the UK access to a huge EU defence fund worth €150 billion (around £125 billion). This could help British defence companies grow and get more support.

Fishing is also being talked about. A current deal about fishing rights will end in June 2026, so new plans may need to be made. Some people are worried that giving up rights to UK waters would hurt British fishermen, and they want the government to protect those rights.

Another possible part of the deal could be a youth mobility plan. This would let young people from the UK and the EU live and work in each other’s countries for up to two years. Sir Keir said the plan would be fair and go both ways. But there are no clear rules yet about what age group would be allowed or how many people could take part.

This idea has received mixed opinions. Some people say it sounds like the return of “free movement” between countries, which was one of the things Brexit was supposed to end. Others, like the Liberal Democrats, support the idea if it has a limit on the number of people involved. They also said the government has been too slow in working out the details.

Other possible changes being discussed include letting British travellers use automatic passport gates (called e-gates) in European airports, so they can move faster. There is also hope to reduce delays for food exports, which have caused problems like fresh food going bad while stuck in trucks.

Thomas-Symonds said he wants to fix those delays and make travel and food exports much smoother. He shared examples where lorries had to wait 16 hours at the border, and fresh food spoiled because of too much paperwork and slow checks.

However, not everyone agrees with these changes. Some politicians say the UK is starting to follow EU rules again, which goes against what Brexit was about. One Member of Parliament said the UK might become a “rule taker” again instead of making its own decisions.

In short, today’s meeting is a big moment for the UK and the EU. Both sides are working hard to agree on a deal that helps people, businesses, and the economy — but there are still many strong opinions about what the final agreement should look like.

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