Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that he will meet with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels next week as part of his strategy to 'reset' UK relations with the EU post-Brexit.
The UK's exit from the European Union in 2020, after five decades of membership, has impacted trade and security cooperation, leading to calls for a reevaluation of future ties. On Wednesday, Starmer, who is currently in New York for the UN General Assembly, shared a photo of himself with Von der Leyen on social media.
'I want to reset our relationship with the EU and make Brexit work for the British people,' he wrote on X, expressing his anticipation for the upcoming discussions with von der Leyen.
This visit marks Starmer's inaugural trip to Brussels since assuming the role of prime minister in July. It follows bilateral meetings with European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Brexit, which removed the UK from the European customs union and single market, also ended the free movement of EU citizens to live and work in Britain.
In response, the EU has proposed a youth mobility scheme for individuals aged 18-30 as part of a potential agreement with the UK. Reports indicate that Starmer, who voted to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum, may seek to soften the proposals to prevent any perception of reintroducing free movement.
As Labour's Brexit spokesman during the party's opposition, Starmer pledged earlier this month that the 'reset' would not involve reversing Brexit, a politically sensitive issue in the UK. 'I want to be ambitious about what we can achieve within the EU reset,' he stated. 'That does not mean going back into the EU, the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement. These are the red lines within that framework.'
