British tourists arriving in Europe could be able to use EU passport gates once again under Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit reset deal.
Sir Keir’s EU minister said the government was pushing for measures to speed up the process in interviews on Sunday morning, after reports the UK was on the verge of striking a deal. Nick Thomas-Symonds made the comments ahead of a summit between the UK and the EU on Monday.
Mr Thomas-Symonds, who has been leading negotiations with Brussels on the deal, said it would give people “more time to spend on holiday or work trips… doing what you want, not being stuck in queues”.
“I am sure we can all agree that would be sensible,” he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Mr Thomas-Symonds stopped short of guaranteeing the agreement would be announced at Monday’s key EU-UK summit, adding the caveat that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”.
But the agreement would be welcomed by travellers, who have spent years complaining about post-Brexit passport queues in Europe. Since Brexit, British arrivals have had to wait in the “all passports” queue, which can take hours. The deal would also allow British arrivals in Europe to use e-gates, currently reserved for EU passport holders and members of the European Economic Area only.
High-profile critics of the longer European passport queues since Brexit include Jeremy Clarkson, who has vowed to no longer holiday in Europe because of the “nuisance”.
Other policies expected to be announced on Monday, when the PM hosts European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa in London, include a youth mobility scheme and British access to the EU’s 150 billion euro defence fund.
A youth mobility scheme would be similar to agreements Britain has in place with countries such as New Zealand and South Korea, letting young people live and work between the UK and EU for several years.
Critics have already accused Sir Keir of ‘betraying’ Brexit, allowing freedom of movement to return by the back door. But the PM has insisted the Brexit reset deal will not breach his “red lines” - a return to freedom of movement, the single market or the customs union.
Sir Keir said on Sunday it would be “good for our jobs, good for our bills and good for our borders”.
Mr Thomas-Symonds also confirmed on Sunday Britain would be willing to align with EU rules in some areas.
“What we are looking to do, we don't come at this from an ideological perspective, we come from a practical perspective,” he said. "Where it is in our national interest to align on common standards to make sure we get far easier trade, to mean that businesses that frankly have had to stop trading with the EU because of the red tape, can start trading with the EU again.
"It means taking a sovereign choice as to the standards, the common standards we wish to align. That's what we did in the US deal where we wouldn't compromise on our food standards and it's exactly that same pragmatic approach for jobs and growth here in this country we are taking in this negotiations."
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