UK-EU trade talks in ‘final hours’ ahead of landmark summit

Sunday 18 Could 2025 11:24 am

Talks on a UK-EU deal are of their “last hours” forward of a serious summit with the bloc, the minister in control of negotiations has mentioned.

Sir Keir Starmer is anticipated to announce a take care of the EU when he meets European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa in London on Monday.

The Prime Minister mentioned the settlement can be “one other step forwards” for the UK and “good for our jobs, good for our payments and good for our borders”.

However on Sunday Cupboard Workplace minister Nick Thomas-Symonds mentioned the ultimate particulars of the deal have been nonetheless being labored out, with talks going “to the wire”.

Monday’s summit has been anticipated to convey an announcement on British entry to a 150 billion euro (£125 billion) EU defence fund, in what may very well be a lift for UK defence firms.

However stories recommend there may be agreements on permitting British travellers to make use of e-gates at European airports, slicing pink tape on meals exports and imports, and organising a youth mobility scheme with the EU.

Mr Thomas-Symonds wouldn’t give particulars of the possible deal throughout broadcast interviews on Sunday, telling the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “Nothing is agreed till all the pieces is agreed.”

However he mentioned the Authorities had been pushing for British residents to have the ability to use EU queues at airports as soon as once more, and he was “assured” {that a} deal on meals may very well be reached.

He mentioned: “We all know we’ve had lorries ready for 16 hours, recent meals within the again not capable of be exported as a result of frankly it’s simply going off, pink tape, all of the certifications which might be required, we completely wish to cut back that.”

He additionally steered the UK may very well be open to aligning with EU guidelines in some areas “to verify we get far simpler commerce”, saying this was “a sovereign selection”, and he mentioned any youth mobility scheme must be “sensible and managed”.

Badenoch and Farage: Deal is a ‘give up’

Each Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK chief Nigel Farage have already described the deal as a “give up”, regardless of the main points not but being identified, and indicated they might tear it up in the event that they got here to energy.

Youth mobility may show a serious sticking level for the opposition, and Mrs Badenoch mentioned she feared it could contain a return to free motion “by the again door”.

Shadow Cupboard Workplace minister Alex Burghart instructed Sky Information’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips there have been “very restricted circumstances” during which the Tories would help a scheme, saying it should not be “uncapped”.

Current schemes with international locations together with Australia and Canada contain restricted numbers and require a visa, however the particulars of any EU scheme stay to be seen.

However the Liberal Democrats have backed a “capped youth mobility scheme”, and the celebration’s Europe spokesman James MacCleary accused the Authorities of “dragging their heels in terms of correctly negotiating on the problem”.

The Lib Dems have additionally mentioned {that a} youth mobility scheme may increase GDP by sufficient to fund a reversal of the cuts to the winter gasoline cost.

However the financial growth predicted by the Centre for European Reform on account of a youth mobility scheme would take years to materialise.

By Christopher McKeon, PA Political Correspondent