Sir Keir Starmer has defended his planned youth mobility scheme with the EU, insisting it does not cross Labour’s red line on freedom of movement and will be good for “working people”.
Ahead of its announcement at the UK-EU summit in London on Monday, he said a youth mobility deal is “not freedom of movement”.
The deal, a key part of the prime minister’s post-Brexit reset of relations with Brussels, will be a “really significant moment”, Sir Keir added.
Reports also suggest a deal on British access to a major 150 billion euro EU defence fund could be on the table but arguments over fishing rights and a youth mobility scheme may provide stumbling blocks to an agreement.
Rachel Reeves said the EU summit will not be a “one-off” and suggested it would pave the way for future talks.
Sir Keir has repeatedly declined to give a “running commentary” on the talks but said on Friday he was “positive going into Monday”.
He spoke after meeting European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in Albania at the European Political Community Summit.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, had earlier said work was progressing on a defence deal, but that “we’re not there yet.”
Sir Keir said a stronger trading relationship with the EU would be “measured in the pockets of working people”.
“People will be better off because of this deal,” the Prime Minister told The Times.
Amid reports that discussions for an agreement with the EU to allow young people to live in the UK for up to two years, Sir Keir rejected claims that would be a backdoor to freedom of movement.
He said: “We have a red line in our manifesto about freedom of movement. We’ve been really clear about that but youth mobility is not freedom of movement.”
He pointed to similar arrangements Britain has with countries including Australia, under which the number allowed to access the scheme is capped. He added: “Nobody wants to relitigate the last nine years and I think [the things] they will be most concerned about — am I going to be better off, is this going to help my living standards, is it going to make sure my job’s preserved, are there jobs in the future, is my community going to benefit from that? — that’ll be test number one.”
A youth mobility scheme was proposed by the EU but initially rejected by Labour.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said the Government is giving “mixed messages” and that he wanted to hear it “speaking in one voice and say they would like a youth mobility scheme”.
Such a scheme would give young British people the chance to work in the EU but also “put rocket boosters up businesses in London” where there are gaps in hospitality, creative industries, health and social care, and other sectors, he told the BBC’s Newsnight programme.
Ms Reeves meanwhile suggested any deals unveiled on Monday would only mark the beginning of closer ties with the bloc.
“I am ambitious for our future. This isn’t a one-off. There will be things that we achieve, some concrete outcomes on Monday, but there will also be a step towards where we want to go next between our countries,” the Chancellor told The Guardian.
“And I see that as a journey, not that what happens on Monday is the end; there will be future areas where we can do more.”
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