What's behind Starmer's notable shift on closer ties to Europe?
BBC••world
Key Points:
- The UK Prime Minister signaled a shift towards closer post-Brexit economic relations with the EU through annual bilateral talks, rather than pursuing rejoining the customs union, aiming to balance business interests and political pressures.
- Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer emphasized a focus on aligning with the EU single market in key sectors like food, electricity, and emissions trading, while maintaining recent trade deals with countries like the US and India.
- Businesses, including the British Chambers of Commerce, have expressed concerns that the current UK-EU trade deal hampers sales growth, prompting calls for reduced post-Brexit trade barriers and greater regulatory alignment.
- Despite some progress, such as the UK rejoining the Erasmus program, negotiations on issues like electricity
