EU to ‘play tough’ with Starmer in post-Brexit reset

31 comments

1. Please god just get us back in. Brexit is a disaster.

2. “I’m going to make an agreement but going to let them get their own way” said no politician anywhere.

3. Seems like the wrong time to be playing hardball with Trump doing his tariff nonsense. There is no reason the EU and UK have to play tough. A united front would be infinitely better for both.

4. Feels like the EU is cutting off their nose to spite their face if they decide to demand concessions for any kind of relationship.

   It’s now in both parties interests that they’re at least aligned on security given the Trump administration’s foreign policy.

5. > Give us youth movement and fishing rights or we will block defence deal, EU to tell Starmer

   > Despite Sir Keir’s welcome efforts to engage with European leaders since being elected in July, the PM will be warned he faces the same fate as Boris Johnson in talks with the bloc – with tough concessions demanded in return for any new relationship.

   > Sir Keir will be warned that progress on issues such as defence and security is not an option unless he is willing to give ground on issues such as EU access to Britain’s fishing waters and a youth mobility scheme.

   Ooft.

6. I voted Remain but the EU is proving some of it’s critics right. What’s the point in an increasingly multipolar world where Europe is going to need to become more self reliant, on being needlessly antagonistic when it comes to trade? Youth mobility is a political ask, not an economic one – there’s a good deal to be had but they’re throwing up ideological barriers at the worst time.

7. I’m glad Starmer is having this conversation with the EU. What it will lead to, if anything, is another story. But I do believe given what’s going on in the US, now, more than ever, is the time we need to create a stable relationship with the EU again

8. Because that makes sense… “Fuck this guy who is trying to be collaborative and reasonable…”

9. Ah, so in light of Trump, Putin and Xi really ramping up their global hostility the EU thinks this is a good strategy.

10. With Trump targeting the EU now in his idiotic tariff war the EU should be building bridges not trying to burn them down.

11. The EU’s “play tough” approach is why Brexit happened.

12. Play tough meaning, “we’re going to get as much money out of UK as we can.”

13. Please. Not at this time. EU is gaining nothing by this approach.

    I’m not saying my country (UK) hasn’t acted like a prat, just please learn to get along with us so we can all benefit.

14. It’s stupid games like this that led to Brexit in the first place. We should not engage.

15. The Eu is not offering anything that benefits us to warrant fishing water access or free movement to help their youth employment situation.

16. These anonymous sources really do say the wildest things. Just a spot of luck the ~~independent~~ Times heard it so the Independent could report on it thereafter.

17. Any deal we dont like or want will be ripped up by Reform.

18. EU gonna EU, why is this a surprise? Have Labour negotiated anything yet that wasn’t an almost total giveaway?

19. Well no one’s going to go into negotiations announcing to the world that they are going to give the other side exactly what they want, are they? 

20. I think politicians are more scared of the anti-EU media than they are screwing over the people they represent.

21. He’s had his answer.  His attempt to cosy up to Brussels has been rebuffed.  He needs to concentrate on the US instead.

22. Oh they really are both so stupid

    Can’t both sides just be flexible and relax the rules, stop being so scared and go for growth.

23. Goes without saying really but Brexit should have never happened in the first place.

    For a start, the fact that the referendum was based on a simple majority wins vote was diabolical. Something as impactful as leaving the EU should not have been done when practically half (48%) of voters did not want it, and that’s before considering all of the under-18’s who were unable to vote but for whom the decision would affect more than anybody else over time.

    Then you had geographic differences, with Scotland and Northern Ireland both voting remain by a fair majority (62% and 56% respectively).

    This is not to mention that the leave campaign was an absolute sham, spearheaded by some absolute bs lies about redirecting money to the NHS etc.

    Basically, our future was determined by half the population, a large proportion being gullible boomers, some of whom are dead now anyway, while the other half of the population has to then bare the repurcussions for it. This wasn’t a GE where there would be another vote in 5 years, this was a permanent change to the very foundation of our country.

    People are right that the EU owes the UK nothing, but I really do hope that at some point we can have a new discussion about it. I’d even accept adopting the EURO if we were invited to rejoin.

24. We shouldn’t be committing to anything on defence unless UK arms manufacturers are recognised in the same way as EU manufacturers for EU procurement purposes.

25. popular support is big on a customs union or a very expedited process at least. I think that should be achievable.

26. The EU is about to get a lesson off Trump what REAL economic power is, he’s going to hit them with massive tariffs.

    Thank God we’re out.

27. A poll this week suggested support for Brexit down to 30%, the” will of the people” has been steadily dropping. Easing European trade should result in growth too.

    With the US losing its mind, the UK finds itself in probably the strongest place it’s been since Brexit, Trump may only have the UK to turn to at some point and I’d have thought the EU might be being a bit more up for an olive branch to the UK, given the impending US tariffs and that they don’t have to deal with petulant Tory Brexiteers any more.

28. I absolutely fucking despair when I read articles like this and people’s reactions. Fishing is a sub £1bn. Farming isn’t much different and both were talking points well above their national importance with Brexit vote yet post Brexit agreements fucked both of them and for what benefit elsewhere? None. Just suck it up, trade access to British waters for access to the single market like before and ditch the veterinary sign off on goods. Why continually fuck up a relationship worth hundreds of billions to the UK for industries which are relatively tiny.

29. This is the EUs opportunity to absolutely fuck over Britain.

    You thought they were vindictive before we left, wait until you see what nutters like von der Leyen have got planned for us.

    Ultimately, it’s better the devil you know. Staying in the EU despite the bloated beaurocrats running it made far more sense than leaving, but what can you do when you’ve got people actually voting for Nigel Farage.

    We all knew leaving was a fucking horrible idea. The next four years are going to be awful and all we’ve got is Keir Starmer 🤣

30. “A diplomat” ours ? Theirs ? What a stupid nothing article

31. Makes perfect sense that the EU start demanding something from Starmer if he really wants some form of reset. So far all he has done is nice words with no action to back them up.

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