British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is to seal a major deal with the European Union next week to deepen post-Brexit ties and remove trade barriers, his office said in a statement on Saturday.
Starmer will receive EU diplomats in London on Monday for a summit aimed at rebooting relations between the UK and its biggest trading partner. Both sides will make advances in key points, but some issues will remain off-limits.
Since assuming office a year ago, Starmer’s Labour government has attempted to enhance the traditionally tense relationship with the EU after Britain left in 2020. The prospective deal is meant to solve lingering issues that face British producers, who presently go through complicated checks or are barred from exporting some foodstuffs to the EU.
Moreover, the deal also seeks to ease challenges for British families such as lowering the more expensive fares and longer lines encountered when journeying to Europe.
“This week, the Prime Minister will sign yet another deal that will deliver in the national interest of this country. It will be good for growth, good for jobs, good for bills, and good for our borders,” read a release issued from 10 Downing Street.
Starmer also suggested the possibility of negotiating a youth mobility agreement with the EU at the summit, possibly giving more chances for youths to work and live abroad.
Brexit has grown less and less popular with the British public, with a lot of people worried about the economic slump and difficulties caused by new trade rules. Starmer’s attempt to repair ties with the EU is part of a larger goal to stabilize the UK economy and calm global trade tensions.
The agreement is set to be a significant move forward in post-Brexit diplomacy, albeit with some contentious issues likely to be left unresolved.
