Sir Keir Starmer was yesterday urged to play hardball with Brussels amid claims he has caved in over post-Brexit fishing rights in exchange for a security and defence deal.
The Prime Minister is closing in on a security pact with the bloc that would allow UK arms firms to bid for contracts under the EU’s €150billion defence fund.
Unveiled by the bloc last month, it allows EU capitals to borrow cash to invest more in defence and is aimed at enabling countries to re-arm quicker.
At present, British arms manufacturers such as BAE Systems and Babcock are locked out of participating in contracts until a pact has been struck, potentially delaying UK-EU military co-operation and the response to the invasion of Ukraine.
France, along with a few other EU fishing nations, had been hoping to use this as leverage in post-Brexit ‘reset’ talks to get a better deal on catching rights for EU trawlers in UK waters.
The Times reported on Sunday that the UK has caved in and made concessions on fishing rights in a bid to get the security and defence pact over the line.
This is despite EU sources saying in recent weeks that French President Emmanuel Macron had softened his stance, and that he would not veto a defence pact if fishing rights were not yet settled ahead of a key summit next month.
One source said: ‘It’s the French system’s position to have them (defence and fishing) linked, but he (Mr Macron) sees beyond that because of the foreign policy challenges faced by London and Paris.’
It suggests Sir Keir may make concessions on fishing rights even though he could still secure a defence deal if he played hardball.
A pact is looking increasingly likely to be unveiled at the summit with EU leaders in London on May 19.
Sir Keir Starmer with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen
A fishing pact is looking increasingly likely to be unveiled at the summit with EU leaders in London on May 19.
Negotiators expect that, alongside it, there will be a form of ‘political declaration’ spelling out how negotiations over fishing rights, closer trading ties, touring musicians and greater freedom of movement for young people will be taken forward.
It means that, in theory, nothing would be finalised in these areas and they would still be subject to further negotiation, although a concession on fishing could be written into this.
Downing Street yesterday refused to be drawn on The Times’s claims that concessions have already been made on fishing rights in exchange for the defence deal.
A spokesman simply said that they wouldn’t get into a ‘running commentary’ and that they will protect the interests of UK fishermen.
But Tory Brexiteer Mark Francois, the party’s Armed Forces spokesman, blasted: ‘As we approach the UK/EU summit on May 19, the Government’s strategy of “smoke and mirrors” is becoming increasingly obvious.
‘They are going to hide behind a defence agreement, to try and mask a surrender to the EU, not just on fishing rights but on so-called “dynamic alignment” – which means becoming a rule-taker for future EU regulations, even though we have left the EU.’
This was a reference to the fact that Sir Keir has offered to shackle the UK to the EU’s rulebook covering food and agricultural products in exchange for closer trading ties.
Critics claim it could hamper talks with the US about a trade deal with Washington.
Former Brexit minister David Jones said: ‘The UK has so much to offer on defence and security.
‘Our intelligence services are some of the best in the world, and we have one of the best defence industries in Europe.
‘I would have thought the EU would be desperate to be aligned with the UK on defence issues, there’s no need to give anything in return and surrender our position on fishing.
British arms manufacturers such as BAE Systems and Babcock are locked out of participating in contracts until an EU pact has been struck
‘But then Starmer is a man who wanted a second referendum.
‘He’s a dyed-in-the-wool Europhile who’s doing everything he can to strip us of the benefits of Brexit.’
Under a deal struck by former PM Boris Johnson in 2020, Britain is seizing back 25 per cent of catching rights in its waters that were previously surrendered to EU trawlers before the 2016 Brexit vote.
Britain’s fishing industry had hoped this transfer of power would continue when the deal ends next June – or that the UK would seize back control over 100 per cent of its waters.
But the EU wants the current deal to be rolled over for another five years after 2026.
Diplomatic sources said a deal was more likely to last three years than the five that EU leaders are demanding.
The UK could also insist that annual negotiations begin, but that is also thought to be unlikely.