Starmer's Time to Act on Brexit: A Historic Opportunity to Repair the Damage
The waiting game has come at a heavy cost. Since the UK-EU summit in May, progress has been glacial. The commitments made were not just diplomatic wins but practical fixes that could ease pressure on supermarket prices and lower bills through energy trading agreements. Yet, months later, neither is in place.
It's time for Keir Starmer to bring forward legislation this year to improve the UK's deal with the EU. This is a historic opportunity to repair the damage inflicted by Brexit. The economic costs of the status quo are clear: prices are higher, trade is weaker, and our influence has diminished.
Starmer's promise signals that the era of warm words without delivery may finally come to an end. Reports that the government is preparing the legislative groundwork for SPS and energy cooperation agreements are significant. This bill marks a concrete sign that implementation is finally within reach.
However, food and energy agreements alone will not be enough to define success at this year's UK-EU summit. Britain's return to Erasmus+ in 2027 is welcome, but insufficient. Young people are still waiting for a youth experience scheme that would restore opportunities to live, work, and study across Europe. The question of UK access to the EU's €150bn rearmament fund also remains unresolved.
Securing clear agreements and timelines on food, energy, youth mobility, and defence cooperation would mark a successful end to what might be called phase one of Labour's post-Brexit reset. Starmer has hinted that he is thinking beyond that. He dismissed renewed calls for a customs union, suggesting it would not be transformative enough.
The evidence backs him up. A customs union alone would deliver modest gains while riling opponents. If Starmer wants to face down the inevitable accusations of Brexit betrayal, he should pursue changes that genuinely move the dial on growth and living standards.
Phase two of the reset must focus on deeper, broader alignment across the economy. Mutual recognition of standards across all industrial sectors, mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and UK accession to the pan-Euro-Mediterranean convention could boost GDP growth by about 2%, according to Best for Britain research by Frontier Economics.
These proposals are hardly radical and sit comfortably within Labour's stated red lines of no return to the single market, customs union, or freedom of movement. The biggest gains from closer UK-EU alignment would be felt outside London and the south-east, particularly in the Midlands, Yorkshire, and the north-east.
While breaching the red lines to pursue single market access could deliver larger GDP boons, it's a debate Starmer should welcome. When critics complain about cost, he can point to the reality of the past decade. The UK has lost around £90bn a year in public finances due to Brexit, while isolation leaves Britain more exposed.
The truth is that the UK and EU share economic, security, and geopolitical interests. Closer cooperation is not just possible but an urgent necessity. It's time for Starmer to act on this historic opportunity to repair the damage inflicted by Brexit.
The waiting game has come at a heavy cost. Since the UK-EU summit in May, progress has been glacial. The commitments made were not just diplomatic wins but practical fixes that could ease pressure on supermarket prices and lower bills through energy trading agreements. Yet, months later, neither is in place.
It's time for Keir Starmer to bring forward legislation this year to improve the UK's deal with the EU. This is a historic opportunity to repair the damage inflicted by Brexit. The economic costs of the status quo are clear: prices are higher, trade is weaker, and our influence has diminished.
Starmer's promise signals that the era of warm words without delivery may finally come to an end. Reports that the government is preparing the legislative groundwork for SPS and energy cooperation agreements are significant. This bill marks a concrete sign that implementation is finally within reach.
However, food and energy agreements alone will not be enough to define success at this year's UK-EU summit. Britain's return to Erasmus+ in 2027 is welcome, but insufficient. Young people are still waiting for a youth experience scheme that would restore opportunities to live, work, and study across Europe. The question of UK access to the EU's €150bn rearmament fund also remains unresolved.
Securing clear agreements and timelines on food, energy, youth mobility, and defence cooperation would mark a successful end to what might be called phase one of Labour's post-Brexit reset. Starmer has hinted that he is thinking beyond that. He dismissed renewed calls for a customs union, suggesting it would not be transformative enough.
The evidence backs him up. A customs union alone would deliver modest gains while riling opponents. If Starmer wants to face down the inevitable accusations of Brexit betrayal, he should pursue changes that genuinely move the dial on growth and living standards.
Phase two of the reset must focus on deeper, broader alignment across the economy. Mutual recognition of standards across all industrial sectors, mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and UK accession to the pan-Euro-Mediterranean convention could boost GDP growth by about 2%, according to Best for Britain research by Frontier Economics.
These proposals are hardly radical and sit comfortably within Labour's stated red lines of no return to the single market, customs union, or freedom of movement. The biggest gains from closer UK-EU alignment would be felt outside London and the south-east, particularly in the Midlands, Yorkshire, and the north-east.
While breaching the red lines to pursue single market access could deliver larger GDP boons, it's a debate Starmer should welcome. When critics complain about cost, he can point to the reality of the past decade. The UK has lost around £90bn a year in public finances due to Brexit, while isolation leaves Britain more exposed.
The truth is that the UK and EU share economic, security, and geopolitical interests. Closer cooperation is not just possible but an urgent necessity. It's time for Starmer to act on this historic opportunity to repair the damage inflicted by Brexit.
. Can't believe it's been months since the UK-EU summit, still waiting for those energy trading agreements to kick in. I mean, £90bn a year lost in public finances? That's like taking all our Sunday roast money away 
. Starmer needs to get cracking on this bill and bring some real progress to the table. The youth need their Erasmus+ fix ASAP 
, and those energy agreements better not be just a bunch of hot air 
️. Can't wait to see what happens next... or will it just be another Brexit delay? 
. Like, how did that even get calculated? And what exactly do we mean by "repairing the damage"? Is it just about fixing stuff or is there an actual plan to address the root issues?
Brexit still got us stuck in a rut... Prices are through the roof & trade is struggling. We're missing out on energy trading agreements that could help lower bills 
. Keir Starmer's gotta bring forward legislation ASAP or we'll just be waiting game players for another year 
. Young people need their Erasmus+ back and a youth experience scheme stat 
. Defence cooperation & EU rearmament fund access are still up in the air 
. It's time to focus on growth & living standards, not just fix what's broken 
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. We've been waiting for ages and it's still a mess. I think Starmer needs to bring forward some real legislation this year, not just empty promises. It's time for him to stop playing politics and actually do something about it 
. The economic costs of inaction are clear - higher prices, weaker trade, and a reduced influence on the world stage. We need concrete agreements on food, energy, youth mobility, and defence cooperation to make this summit a success 
. And let's be real, if Starmer wants to stay in power, he needs to think bigger than just repairing damage - we need real growth and improvement in living standards 
The longer we wait for action, the more prices will skyrocket 
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I'm all for Labour's post-Brexit reset, but Starmer needs to bring forward some real concrete changes this year 
Not just empty promises and warm words 
We need to see some tangible progress on food, energy, youth mobility, and defence cooperation 
If we want to grow our economy and boost living standards, we need to break free from the Brexit limbo 
... like, it's about time someone in power got serious about fixing the mess 
. Those energy trading agreements and supermarket price cuts sound 
beneficial for everyday Brits! 
. A proper youth mobility scheme would make a HUGE difference, trust me 
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It could boost GDP growth by 2% - now that's some serious potential for economic growth! 
. I'm rooting for Starmer to take the reins and make some real changes happen 
... who knows, maybe this is the start of a whole new era of UK-EU cooperation 
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. And the EU's rearmament fund? Still up in the air 
. But at the same time, we need to be willing to make some tough decisions and break some red lines if it means we're really going to see some progress here 
his words have been music to our ears for ages, but action is what matters 
. And let's be real, breaching those "red lines" might just be the ticket to unlocking some serious growth potential 
. Bring it on! 
He needs to bring forward some concrete legislation ASAP or else we'll be stuck in this limbo forever 
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. It could give our economy a much-needed boost and help us compete with other European countries. Plus, it's not like Labour is proposing single market access or freedom of movement, they're just trying to find a middle ground 
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. The waiting game has gone on long enough, and it's time for concrete action 
). It's about the bigger picture – economic growth, living standards, and young people's opportunities 
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. If he wants to deliver on Labour's post-Brexit reset, he needs to get some concrete progress this year 
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The wait is killing me! 
. I'm all for the energy trading agreements and youth mobility scheme, but we need more substantial stuff too 
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, and I'd rather not get my hopes up only to be disappointed again 
, and I'm not convinced it'll actually lead to anything tangible 
.
. We've seen what happens when big companies make deals that sound good on paper but end up not delivering in practice. It's just more of the same old mess we're stuck with after Brexit.