Labour is forever trying to dupe voters on its approach to UK-EU relations. Having initially fought to reverse the 2016 referendum altogether, figures like Keir Starmer (the prime minister) and David Lammy (the foreign secretary) later\u2014that is, during their first year in office\u2014proposed what they called a Brexit \u2018reset.\u2019 Now the public has realised this plan will still overturn some of the key Brexit gains, especially regarding immigration, so the spin doctors are working to shift the rhetoric all over again. Crucially, the substance remains about the same.<\/p>\n
The word \u201creset\u201d has been \u201cbanished\u201d from government communications, according to Politico, which cites<\/a> a \u201csenior official.\u201d It appears Labour is taking the salami slice approach instead, making one small deal with an individual country at a time so that the wider image can be more easily hidden from the public.<\/p>\n For example, on Thursday, Starmer is welcoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his first official UK visit. The pair will sign what is being dubbed the \u201cbiggest UK-Germany treaty since 1945.\u201d Defence is at the centre of this agreement, just as it has been<\/a> in wider UK-EU \u2018reset\u2019 talks.<\/p>\n Another clever bit of spin has been to wrap joint measures to crack down on illegal migration\u2014which will see Germany increase prosecutions of smuggling gangs on its own territory, in theory stopping them from operating across the Channel\u2014in these latest talks, even though this was already agreed<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n Germany has committed to change their law so we can disrupt the supply of small boats.<\/p>\n Working with our international partners gets results for British people.<\/p>\n We will smash the people smuggling gangs and secure our borders.<\/p>\n \u2014 Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n