Sir Keir Starmer has secured a landmark deal between Britain and the European Union in a move that has dominated headlines across the political spectrum.
Following a last-minute breakthrough in reset talks, the prime minister – who has made the Brexit reset a centrepiece of his administration – hailed Monday’s summit as marking a “new era” of relations with the bloc.
While Sir Keir declared that Britain was “back on the world stage” with his “win-win” deal, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage made it clear that they would scrap it if they were to win power at the next election.
Ms Badenoch warned the agreement makes the UK “a rule taker”, while the former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader branded it an “abject surrender” and “the end of the fishing industry”.
Especially thorny issues included fishing rights, which negotiators only solved in the early hours of the morning, while talks surrounding a youth mobility scheme appear to have ended in a deadlock.
Unsurprisingly for the Brexit debate, Tuesday’s front pages highlighted the stark political divides over the latest deal.
The Daily Mail echoed Mr Farage’s remarks with the headline “Starmer’s surrender” and an editorial that declared: “This was the day the Brexit dream died.”
Meanwhile, The Independent’s editorial stated that the UK’s place in Europe has been “restored” through “ingenuity and pragmatism”, and the Guardian led with the prime minister’s declaration of “back on the world stage” success.
The Independent takes a look at how the more pro-Brexit media covered the deal.
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail, which was known to be among the most pro-Leave media, unsurprisingly blasted Mr Starmer and his deal with the headline “Starmer’s surrender”.
Leading with the backlash, the paper reported the prime minister has been “accused of a great Brexit betrayal”, suggesting the agreement gives Brussels control over British fish, laws and money.
In its editorial, the newspaper declared: “This was the day the Brexit dream died, and with it the vision of a vibrant, confident, sovereign Britain making its own rules and its own way on the international stage.”
It went on to suggest British taxpayers “will be forced to pay billions for the privilege of once more becoming an obeisant Brussels rule-taker”.
The Sun
The Sun also headlines on backlash against the agreement, focusing on fishing rights.
The newspaper’s front page states, “Done up like a kipper,” over a huge picture of the fish. It reported that Britain was ambushed by a last-minute demand by what it called “12 more years of French and Spanish trawlers plundering our waters”.
The paper also wrote that Sir Keir agreed to “take rules from Brussels”, “bow down to EU judges” and “throw open our borders” among a list of criticisms of the deal plastered across the front page.
In its editorial, The Sun said: “Far from taking control back from the EU, die-hard Remainer Starmer has meekly handed it back.”
The newspaper went on to describe the deal as “the worst of all worlds”, suggesting further negotiations to come “are only likely to deliver more humiliation”.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph described the deal as an official “kiss goodbye to Brexit”.
The paper reported on critics’ accusations the prime minister is trying to drag Britain back into the bloc.
Matt’s cartoon, meanwhile, showed fishermen on a British-flagged vessel saying: “We took back control, but they took back all the mackerel, sole and haddock.”
And The Telegraph’s view is that Ms Badenoch “is right to call this deal a surrender”.
Describing the deal as a “shameful capitulation”, the newspaper said in its editorial: “Never in the history of human compromise has one side conceded so much for so little in return.”
Daily Express
The Daily Express led with a similar headline to the Mail, citing a quote that Sir Keir’s agreement is an “abject surrender” and condemning it as a “betrayal of Brexit Britain”.
The paper included critics’ warnings that the deal means Britain is in a “new era of Brussels rule”, echoing Sir Keir’s “new era” remarks but not in the way the prime minister intended.
Its politics team wrote a piece on the agreement that described fury against the prime minister and cited critics slamming Sir Keir for “selling out” Britain in a “horror show”.
Daily Star
The Daily Star similarly led on criticism of the deal, with the headline: “PM’s in a tight spot.”
The paper featured quotes from pro-Leave former prime minister Boris Johnson who called Sir Keir an “orange ball-chewing Brussels gimp”.
Starmer defends ‘win-win’ EU deal after ‘Brexit betrayal’ attacks: Live
‘Hat-trick of trade deals shows Britain back on the world stage’ – Starmer
Starmer brands Gaza crisis ‘horrific’ as UK, France and Canada issue warning
‘We are still waiting for justice’: Infected blood victims call on PM to act
NatWest boss says AI is ‘addition’ to human jobs rather than replacement
