In a significant international development, Sir Keir Starmer, prominent Labour Party member and current Opposition Leader, is presently engaging with centre-left global leaders in Canada. It was in this setting that Starmer publicly declared his intent to strive for a more favourable Brexit deal with the European Union if Labour emerges victorious in the upcoming general election.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with the existing deal, earmarked for revision in 2025, categorising it as “too thin” in his interview with the Financial Times. All these statements were uttered on the sidelines of a conference of centre-left leaders taking place in Montreal, Canada.
Significantly, Starmer took pains to make it clear that re-joining the Customs Union, re-entering the single market, or becoming an EU member again, were not on his agenda.
As of now, it remains cloaked in ambiguity whether Brussels would be amenable to implement significant amendments to the current agreement, initially sanctioned by Boris Johnson, the former Conservative Prime Minister, in 2021.
In maintaining consistency, Starmer reiterated his stance of opting against a bid to rejoin the EU if Labour assumes power, affirming his pledge to make Brexit succeed. With his party commanding a double-digit lead in political opinion polls, it’s expected that Starmer could possibly ascend to power in the general elections slated for 2024.
Starmer was candid about his aversion towards the existing deal, stating, “Almost everyone recognises the deal Johnson struck is not a good deal – it’s far too thin.”
In a forward-looking message, he alluded to his intentions beyond 2025. Without giving away specifics, he asserted his determination to secure an improved deal for the UK. He further oozed confidence in his ability to negotiate a superior deal with Brussels, one including a “closer trading relationship”.
True to his self-professed resolve to “make Brexit work”, Starmer acknowledged the challenges but remained undeterred, stressing his refusal to accept a lack of progress. Evoking his personal stake in the matter, he voiced concern over his children’s future, promising to work indefatigably towards a better outcome.
Over the past weekend, Starmer had a series of high-profile meetings with numerous fellow centre-left leaders in Canada, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In the near horizon lies a planned visit to Paris to confer with French President Emmanuel Macron with the theme of post-Brexit relations likely to dominate the discussions.
Additionally, Starmer recently made a trip to the Hague, the Netherlands, to discuss a potential agreement with the EU’s law enforcement agency Europol with the intention of curtailing smuggling gangs who ferry people across the English Channel in small boats.
These diplomatic engagements have sparked comments from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who claimed that Starmer’s party aimed to turn the UK into a “dumping ground” for an annual 100,000 migrant inflow. In response, Starmer emphatically denounced these allegations as “complete garbage”.
