UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – European relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds says the UK may adopt select EU standards to reduce trade hurdles, vowing a pragmatic, case-by-case approach.
As reported by Sky News, a government minister has said the UK government is open to aligning with EU regulations where it serves the national interest.
What did Nick Thomas-Symonds say about EU rule alignment?
During an interview on BBC, when asked about the alignment, Nick Thomas-Symonds said,
“What we are looking to do, we don’t come at this from an ideological perspective, we come from a practical perspective.”
He stated,
“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.”
Mr Thomas-Symonds said,
“It means taking a sovereign choice as to the standards, the common standards we wish to align,”
adding,
“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.”
According to the minister, Britain will review potential contributions to EU initiatives independently, weighing each on its own merits.
He confirmed that a final deal with the EU had not yet been reached.
Mr Thomas-Symonds said,
“We are in the very final hours. I always expected it to go to the wire because we are negotiating extremely hard in the national interest.”
He said the UK aims for a deal that boosts jobs and lowers expenses for households, adding, “We will not sign a deal that is not in our national interest.”
The cabinet minister expressed confidence that an agreement with the European Union will succeed. He said,
“What we’ve been doing… is pushing everything to the limit, negotiating very hard as we seek to deliver the promises we made in our manifesto last year.”
Referring to the guarantee of a deal, he stated,
“Nobody can guarantee anything when you have two parties in a negotiation. We’ve certainly been taking what I called a ruthlessly pragmatic approach. We want to emerge with a deal that we can say makes our borders more secure, is good for jobs and growth and brings people’s household bills down.”
When asked if agricultural products will be part of the deal to cut food prices, Mr Thomas-Symonds stated this is the goal, stating, “I think that will be something that is very helpful to British people.”
He also revealed efforts are underway to allow UK citizens to use fast lanes at EU airport border controls.
What did Thomas-Symonds say about youth mobility and migration policy?
The minister stated that lowering net migration remains a government policy.
Referring to the youth mobility scheme he said,
“Anything that was agreed on youth mobility – which would be opportunities for young British people to experience different cultures and travel the world – would be consistent with the objectives of the migration white paper, which is to bring the levels of migration down.”
What did Sir Keir Starmer say about closer UK-EU ties?
Sir Keir Starmer said closer ties with the EU will support jobs, reduce bills, and secure borders.
He stated,
“First India, then the United States – in the last two weeks alone that’s jobs saved, faster growth and wages rising.”
The prime minister suggests a youth mobility agreement could be on the table, emphasizing that freedom of movement is a “red line” but youth mobility is not included.
What did Kemi Badenoch say about the EU deal concerns?
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservatives, stated she is “worried” about the prime minister’s possible deal.
Ms Badenoch, who has pledged to revoke the deal if it crosses her Brexit red lines, stated,
“Labour should have used this review of our EU trade deal to secure new wins for Britain, such as an EU-wide agreement on Brits using e-gates on the continent.”
She added,
“Instead, it sounds like we’re giving away our fishing quotas, becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again and getting free movement by the back door. This isn’t a reset, it’s a surrender.”