‘Keir Starmer Must Rid Himself of his Brexit Blind Spot’

A successful relationship depends on mutual understanding and reciprocal benefits. Frustratingly, the UK Government often acts as if it does not ‘get’ the EU, remains fixated on technical tweaks to the trade deal and seems to ignore the bigger picture.

This is partly because the UK has not yet shaken off the win-lose mentality of the Brexit years, rather than prioritising effective collaboration.

Rejoining is currently off the table due to Keir Starmer’s red lines on the customs union, the single market and freedom of movement.

These self-imposed constraints seem bizarre given the importance of economic growth to repair the public finances, and that the majority of voters see Brexit as a mistake (to put it mildly).

Unfortunately for those that wish to sort Brexit out, the immediate pressures on the new government to fix domestic issues (NHS, housing, asylum backlog etc) means it will have limited bandwidth to address the EU relationship.

Taking a longer-term view, substantial benefits would come to the UK from reversing Brexit, although we usually pay scant attention to the benefits for the EU (that win-lose mindset again). 

However, if we put ourselves in the EU’s shoes, it soon becomes clear that the benefits to the EU would also be significant. In short, rejoining would be a win-win for both parties: strategically, culturally, politically and economically.  

For example, as one of Europe’s larger economies, the UK’s reintegration into the EU’s single market and customs union would be a big plus for mutual trade, investment and economic growth.

It would free EU-UK trade from post-Brexit barriers, tariff bureaucracy, and customs checks (delivering a major benefit for small businesses). In addition, the UK would bring its powerful services capability fully into the EU to benefit EU consumers and businesses. 

A more dynamic labour market and better delivery of services would result from the shared benefits of free movement of persons between the UK and the EU.

It would also address skills shortages for both and boost productivity. The return of the UK to the Dublin agreement would strengthen cooperation on handling irregular immigration.

With the UK back in the room, the EU’s global influence in international affairs and soft power would strengthen. The EU’s defence and security capabilities would be bolstered by smoother access to the UK’s military power and intelligence capabilities. This would enhance collective efforts against crime and terrorism.

Cultural and social ties would be renewed and reinvigorated. Refreshing cultural exchanges, educational opportunities (for example, through the Erasmus+ scheme), and people-to-people connections, would enrich the cultural diversity in the EU and our shared European identity. 

Rebuilding trust and strengthening bilateral relationships with European leaders like Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Emmanual Macron is a positive start to the reset, but it is just the beginning.

Tangible results need to follow as does further relationship building at many levels including with the European Commission. This requires defined objectives and will take time but is central to developing shared understanding and creating the platform for lasting change. 

The overarching objective should be to put the UK in a position to apply to rejoin the EU, but without committing the UK to rejoining.

We are not yet politically ready for this but it would be the simplest way to focus minds on what needs to be done to create closer trade and security ties.  It would also support a more productive dialogue with the EU and keep a very valuable option open.

Domestically, politicians need to regain trust by acknowledging the realities of the current agreement, break free from the win-lose Brexit mindset and recognise the EU’s holistic approach to the single market resting on its values and the four freedoms.  These steps are vital to develop a persuasive case for change for both UK and EU audiences.

Even with a shared vision of the prize, ‘mission win-win’ would be a challenging, multi-year journey with inevitable missteps. Yet, with sufficient political consensus, the mission could gather momentum faster than expected. 

Public opinion about Brexit is already some way ahead of Government policy. We should applaud the Labour leadership for taking the first steps but urge them to show much greater confidence in seeking collaboration with the EU.

Important wins like a youth mobility agreement and a security partnership will only be achievable with a new mindset focussed on creating mutual benefits.