logo
Starmer hails ‘common sense' EU deal as Brexiteers condemn ‘surrender'

Starmer hails ‘common sense' EU deal as Brexiteers condemn ‘surrender'

Leader Live19-05-2025

Under the deal struck with Brussels, more tourists will be able to use e-gates at airports in Europe, pet passports will be introduced for UK cats and dogs and businesses can sell burgers and sausages into the bloc again.
But the Prime Minister faced accusations of betraying Brexit over the extension of fishing rights for European vessels for a further 12 years and closer ties to EU rules.
Sir Keir met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa at a summit in Lancaster House, London, to seal the deal.
The Prime Minister said: 'It's time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.
'We're ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people's lives here at home.
'So that's what this deal is all about – facing out into the world once again, in the great tradition of this nation.
'Building the relationships we choose, with the partners we choose, and closing deals in the national interest. Because that is what independent, sovereign nations do.'
Measures include:
– A 12-year extension of fishing arrangements when the current deal ends, allowing European vessels to operate in UK waters under the same terms until 2038.
– An open-ended new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to slash red tape on food and drink exports and imports between the UK and EU.
– Some routine checks on plant and animal products will be removed completely and British burgers and sausages will once more be allowed into the EU.
– Linking UK and EU emissions-trading schemes which will mean British firms will not be hit by Brussels' carbon tax next year.
– A security and defence partnership will pave the way for UK arms firms to bid for work under the EU's proposed new £150 billion security action for Europe (Safe) fund.
– The UK and EU have agreed to co-operate on a 'youth experience scheme', but British officials insisted numbers would be capped and stays would be time-limited.
– British steel exports will be protected from new EU rules and restrictive tariffs, saving the beleaguered industry £25 million.
In striking the deal, the Prime Minister has had to balance the Government's desperate search for measures to grow the economy with the backlash he will inevitably face from Brexit-supporting voters and political opponents.
The deal requires 'dynamic alignment' – the UK following rules set by Brussels – in areas covering the SPS deal, emissions trading and potential co-operation in the electricity market.
That would mean the UK complying with rules over which, outside the EU, it would have a very limited influence.
The acceptance of some form of youth mobility programme, allowing young EU citizens to live, work and study in the UK and vice versa, has been politically controversial because of the Government's drive to cut net migration.
Officials insisted the scheme being proposed would not breach the Government's red line of not allowing the return of free movement, pointing to similar deals with Australia and New Zealand.
The 'reset' deal also respects the Government's other red lines of not returning to the customs union or single market, officials said.
But Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'We're becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again.
'And with no details on any cap or time limits on youth mobility, fears of free movement returning will only increase. This is very concerning.'
Shadow farming minister Robbie Moore accused Sir Keir of 'surrendering access to our British waters to European fishermen'.
'Whose side is he on? When Labour negotiates, Britain loses,' he added.
Reform UK's Nigel Farage said the 12-year deal on access for European boats 'will be the end of the fishing industry'.
Mr Farage's deputy leader Richard Tice said: 'Labour surrenders. Brussels bureaucrats win again.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Labour's reasoning for winter fuel cuts never did make sense
Labour's reasoning for winter fuel cuts never did make sense

The National

time26 minutes ago

  • The National

Labour's reasoning for winter fuel cuts never did make sense

If Labour's by-election candidate had been able to hail a Westminster U-turn on Winter Fuel Payments (WFPs), perhaps he wouldn't have been so camera-shy in the days before the vote in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. That said, it's not immediately clear what the impact of this Westminster decision will be on Scotland's devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which the Scottish Government last year decided would be £100 for every pensioner household, with means-testing for higher payments. Will universality be maintained, even if the sums are increased to match the payments in England and Wales to which only some pensioners will be entitled? READ MORE: Labour 'left us to see winter fuel U-turn on social media', SNP minister says The Scottish Government received no more notice than any of the rest of us that this U-turn was coming, so will now need to reassess its plans. The whole situation is a guddle, highlighting once again the limitations on Holyrood making its own decisions that best meet the needs of its people. Given our colder climate, it seems likely the payments will be increased. But what a lot of wasted energy has been devoted to mitigating the impact of a UK Government policy decision that went down like a lead balloon as soon as it was announced, and has been blamed for the Labour Party's poor showing in the English local elections. The policy never quite made sense, given that it was trumpeted as a way to save the Government money but it could actually have ended up costing more than the previous universal system. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has largely U-turned on her Winter Fuel cuts (Image: PA) By linking eligibility for WFPs to receipt of pension credit (and certain other income-related benefits), Labour quite deliberately encouraged more benefit applications. Nearly 60,000 extra awards of pension credit have been made since the means-testing of WFPs was announced, and at an average value of around £4000 this will have cost an additional £235 million or so. It's a small sum compared to the £1.3 billion Labour hoped to save in the first year of limiting fuel payments, but it's a tiny fraction of the estimated unclaimed pension credit. The Government believes 880,000 households are missing out, but must have banked on far fewer than half of them making successful claims in response to the ending of WFPs for all. Had 440,000 been spurred into action and made successful claims, the bill could have been in the region of £1.76bn. This would have been no bad thing – the policy would have redistributed pensioner support from those who possibly didn't need it to those who definitely did. But this was not how Labour sold the policy, and indeed not how it worked out. READ MORE: SNP urge Rachel Reeves to abandon disability cuts after winter fuel U-turn The number-crunchers presumably took into account two important factors: one, that applying for pension credit is not particularly easy to do, and two, that many pensioners are strongly resistant to being perceived as benefit claimants, regardless of how low their incomes may be. I say 'perceived as', rather than 'being', because they are happy to accept their state pensions, which they do not consider to be benefits because they have 'paid in' for them, but are more reluctant to apply for means-tested top-ups. I can already hear some of our letter-writers cracking their knuckles ready to scold me for suggesting their pensions are benefits as opposed to simply entitlements. While pensioner pride is one factor in low benefit take-up, others include lack of knowledge about what is available – including the fact that even a modest pension credit payment acts as a 'gateway' to other benefits including Council Tax reduction, the Warm Home Discount and free TV licences for over-75s. Worryingly, between last July and this May a whopping 146,000 claims were refused, representing a 99% increase on the year before. Reporting on the high proportion of such claims in the months following the WFP change, the BBC suggested this could be 'due to people failing to meet the criteria, or failing to submit the 24-page, 223-question form properly'. Back in November, opposition MPs were critical of the fact that people were waiting 10 weeks for a decision, but appeared less curious to know why so many were being rejected. Is it plausible that so many of those who applied were actually ineligible, given what we know about low take-up rates? Or is it more likely that the application process is too arduous for many to complete correctly? Yes, some people may have felt it was worth applying even if they weren't sure they were eligible, but with the form taking an average of 16 minutes to complete it's certainly not a simple case of a few clicks. Labour will be hoping to move on from this policy disaster, and will stick to their line about desperate measures being required last summer. However, the matter of unclaimed pension credit, and the high number of rejected claims, is arguably far more important. Is the complexity of the application process a barrier too far? And how likely are proud pensioners to challenge decisions, or resubmit their claims, if they were disinclined to apply in the first place?

Eurostar to launch new UK trains direct to two of Europe's most iconic cities
Eurostar to launch new UK trains direct to two of Europe's most iconic cities

Daily Mirror

time34 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Eurostar to launch new UK trains direct to two of Europe's most iconic cities

Eurostar claimed a 'new golden age of international sustainable travel is here' as it announced proposals to run trains between London St Pancras and both Frankfurt and Geneva from the 'early 2030s' Eurostar has announced major plans to link up the UK and two European countries with direct services for the first time. From the "early 2030s" the train operator will run services to Germany and Switzerland, heralding what it calls "a new golden age of international sustainable travel". The rail operator announced ambitious plans to connect London St Pancras directly with Frankfurt and Geneva starting in the "early 2030s". ‌ A fleet of up to 50 state-of-the-art trains, costing around two billion euros (£1.7 billion), will be deployed on these routes. Travellers could zip from London to Frankfurt in roughly five hours, and reach Geneva in about five hours and 20 minutes. ‌ Details such as potential stops along the way, for instance, Cologne on the Frankfurt route, and whether passengers can board or alight mid-journey, are still under discussion. Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar's chief executive, told PA news agency that there's a growing appetite for longer train trips over flights as people "want to travel more sustainably". 'I tried the UK's new high-tech £200million trains with underfloor heating' She anticipates a high demand for these direct connections to Frankfurt and Geneva, noting their status as "big financial hubs" and their appeal to both leisure and business travellers. However, several challenges lie ahead before the launch, including expanding station capacities, establishing new border controls, and securing track access. Last month, the UK and Switzerland penned a memorandum of understanding to kick-start direct train services between the two nations. Eurostar is set to expand its fleet with the addition of new trains to its 17 e320s, bumping up its total to 67 trains – a 30% increase from today's numbers. The bolstered fleet will also enhance current routes, including upping the daily round trips from London to Paris from 17 to 20. From September 9, Eurostar will introduce a fourth daily return service to Amsterdam from St Pancras, with plans for a fifth by mid-December. ‌ Eurostar's network connects London with Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and the French Alps during ski season, as well as running routes within Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Last year saw the operator carry 19.5 million passengers, marking a 5% rise from 18.6 million in 2023. The London-Paris line was Eurostar's top performer in 2024, carrying 280,000 passengers, followed by London-Brussels with 250,000, Paris-Brussels at 160,000, and Paris-the Netherlands with 140,000 travellers. Ms Cazenave said: "We're seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide. Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future. ‌ "Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality – notably direct trains between London and Germany, and between London and Switzerland for the first time. A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here." Various firms are crafting strategies to break Eurostar's exclusive hold on Channel Tunnel passenger services. Among them are Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, FS Italiane Group which runs Italy's railways, and Gemini Trains, with Labour peer Lord Berkeley at the helm. Ownership of Eurostar predominantly lies with France's national rail company SNCF. Back in 2015, the UK government divested its Eurostar share, cashing £757 million in the sell-off to private investors.

IFX Payments selects Form3 for Verification of Payee
IFX Payments selects Form3 for Verification of Payee

Finextra

timean hour ago

  • Finextra

IFX Payments selects Form3 for Verification of Payee

IFX Payments, a service-led alternative banking partner, today announces it will be using Form3's Verification of Payee (VoP) solution for SEPA account, strengthening its defences against payment fraud and aligning with the Instant Payments Regulation mandate. 0 Ahead of the Verification of Payee (VoP) scheme going live in October 2025, implemented by The European Payments Council, IFX Payments will now be able to verify payees before payments are executed. The VoP scheme is designed to reduce fraud and payment errors by verifying that the payee's name matches their PSP's records for the given IBAN. This occurs before the payment is executed, providing additional assurance that the funds are being sent to the correct account holder. Form3's solution will ensure that IFX Payments is compliant with the Instant Payments Regulation for its SEPA Credit Transfer and SEPA Instant Payments, offering its customers enhanced protection against authorised push payment (APP) fraud and payment errors. The Form3 VoP solution is underpinned by a single API designed to integrate seamlessly into existing infrastructure, allowing customers to meet regulatory requirements while focusing on growth, to improve the overall customer experience. The solution has been designed with compliance in mind for customers. Form3's fully managed service delivers compliance with regulations such as IPR and PSD3. A key selling point is that Form3 provides rolling scheme updates - without service interruption. Today's announcement marks the third Form3 product that IFX Payments has adopted, having previously integrated Confirmation of Payee (CoP) and SEPA Credit Transfer into its customer offering. Mike Walters, CEO, Form3, says: 'We're proud to be working with IFX Payments, a forward-thinking global organisation at the forefront of FX and payments. Their decision to adopt our VoP solution marks this as the third Form3 product that IFX Payments has signed up to - highlighting the strength of our ongoing partnership and their commitment to growth.' Rosie McConnell, Product Director, IFX Payments, comments: 'We chose Form3's VoP solution because of its seamless fit with our existing compliance infrastructure. Having a dedicated onboarding team has been invaluable, allowing us to continue focusing on what matters most: delivering a secure, reliable, and fully compliant payment experience for our customers. We're happy to be building on our partnership with Form3.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store