Keir Starmer can’t stay away from the EU, meeting Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, Brussels, October 2024. Photo Simon Dawson / Number 10 / Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
The Starmer government intends to offer EU member countries a youth mobility scheme as part of its “reset” with the EU. This fits with several policy initiatives to realign Britain with the EU – by stealth if necessary.
Tens of thousands of young EU students and workers would be allowed to live and work here for up to three years. The scheme would also allow young Britons aged 18-30 similar access to EU countries.
The EU has been demanding that a youth movement scheme is key to a deal they hope to agree at a summit meeting in London on 19 May. Until very recently, the government rejected any such scheme, but it is now caving to accept the EU demand; this is likely to prove all too typical.
The EU is also demanding that Britain ends checks on the export and import of foods and plant products, and eases veterinary checks.
• A longer version of this article is on the web at www.cpbml.org.uk