Starmer has done a deal with the EU. Only, of course, just like the deal with Trump, most of the detail has yet to be worked out. In that case, let's not get overly excited. Detail matters in these things.
Nonetheless, the relevance of the move has to be recognised, insignificant as it is in terms of its impact on vital issues such as overall levels of regulation, freedom of movement, the burdens on business, and national well-being. Flawed as the EU is, and that is undoubtedly true, the fact remains that we were, as a country, better off in membership than we are outside it.
Last night, Labour ministers were emphasising that we remain outside the EU and that decision will never be open to renegotiation in any way. All that is possible are minutely incremental deals of the sort made yesterday.
In other words, Labour continue to pander to those who created a scheme that deliberately destroyed 5% of the UK's national income whilst simultaneously promoting the idea of English exceptionalism, which it emphatically disproved.
When you base your policy on these continuing stupidities, nothing can make it credible, and this deal has to be seen within that context. If Starmer wishes to present this as a success within the framework of a continued disaster, then he has the right to do so. However, the only way in which he can really improve things is by deciding to do what is actually required, which is to totally reframe our relationship with the EU by beginning pathways to much closer alignment, if not membership.
Is Starmer capable of that? I question it. The inevitable triangulation in which Labour is always engaged will, most likely, make it impossible. If he wants to appeal to the Reform vote, as he clearly does above all else, then he cannot achieve anything useful, because Reform does not exist for that purpose: its intent is the destruction of government as we have known it and unless and until Stramer realises that, and rejects it, then there is nothing he can add to the political agenda.
Yesterday's minor agreement of inconsequential overall impact proves this. The country already knows that. Starmer might pretend otherwise, but he is an appalling actor. People can readily sense the insincerity that he continually exudes. No wonder that, politically, they want to move on. And yesterday will not alter that for anyone, whatever Starmer has to say about it.
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We need to recognise that Brexit was such a success that we need to rejoin the EU so that we can do it again ( in a few decades time).
You can be back in a couple of years, if you really want to.
I bet you’d keep the pound and stay out of Schengen as well. Just no Maggie rebate.
Please don’t take my name in vain! 😉 It’s bad enough sharing a name with That Woman!
Every time I see Starmer I can think of only one word:
‘Ossification’.
He looks more wooden day by day, in fact by the time he is finished I’m sure he’ll have turned to stone and they will be wheeling him around on a dolly.
Labour is delivering a version of May’s ‘Strong and Stable’ mantra better than the Tories. They are ensuring that a rich cabal who want exceptionalism and a regulation free zone and a ‘theif-dom’ all of there own to play in will get it.
‘Elective oligarchy’ Michael Hudson calls it and he calls it right.
The reality is that the UK remains outside the huge market on its doorstep, proudly proclaiming ” we are still exceptional and best placed to survive”.
UK politicians are utterly bonkers and deluded.
Of course the only thing for it is to increase austerity and allow the financial services industry to have the pressed for further deregulation. Another financial crash and bail out everyone?
TL;DR of this post: In the overall scheme of things, this deal is the cube root of diddly-squat.
That’s it
At best a move in the right direction
Thank you and well said, Richard and the community.
Banks have expressed disappointment diplomatically and noted that the EU wants to pursue its strategic autonomy in financial services(, so that it is not dependant on the City or Wall Street). This means that City access to the single market is unlikely to return. That fits in with what many foreign banks are doing in London, centralising non-client facing activity in home states.
The financial institutions that do have the ear of the government are the asset strippers that neither need EU access nor want EU safeguards and wishing to take over infrastructure, public services etc.
This post should be read in conjunction with the one about the Bank of England’s watering down of not just ring fencing, but other measures (albeit under Treasury pressure). The banks are likely to adopt more aggressive business strategies focused on the UK market. We await misselling and another crash.
Entirely agreed.
It’s all media hype and most of us can see straight through it, nothing significant has happened as you rightly point out.
The UK will continue to go downhill even with these modest improvements. The country deperately needs free movement. It will never train enough specialist doctors to fix the NHS otherwise, nor find the builders Rayner is assuming she will have. A complex 21st century economy of 60+ million needs a much deeper labour market. All that will happen will be slower decline.
The two basic – and complementary – problems are the slogan “Take back control” and the lie that “Brussels rules”. UK politicians hid behind Brussels to introduce policies that they had not prepared the electorate for. Much of “Brussels rules” was actually “UK government wants”. Until a major party admits the lies, UK faces continued stasis.
Bella CaledoniaMike Small had an interesting take on Starmers “deal”.
https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2025/05/19/gone-fishing/
In summary: Scotland & its fisheries used a part of “the deal” (EU knowing that the Uk was in a weak position).
Starmer doing his bit for Scottish independence – bravo that man.
Staggering….