Brexit freedoms will be signed away as PM drags Britain into shackles of Europe with new trade deal with Brussels
BREXIT freedoms are to be signed away today at a “surrender summit” — as Sir Keir Starmer drags Britain back into the shackles of Europe.
The PM is set to agree a new trade deal with the EU, setting the stage for free movement for millions of young Europeans.
Bending the knee to Brussels, the arrangement is also expected to once more fling open British waters to French trawlers and concede to the bloc on food standards.
By tying Britain back up in EU red tape, the UK would be placed under the jurisdiction of European courts — a major reversal of the Brexit promise.
Negotiations were down to the wire last night, with British and European diplomats still wrangling into the evening.
A No 10 source said outstanding issues meant talks would have to continue through the night — just hours before the summit kicks off.
Senior politicians last night lined up to slam arch-Remainer Sir Keir for preparing to sign off a “surrender deal” which would betray 17million Brexit voters and risk compromising a future strengthened trade agreement with US President Donald Trump.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Opening up our borders to millions of people in the EU will make red wall voters doubt Labour even more.
“It’s clear Labour can’t be trusted to secure our borders. This is a surrender deal by Starmer.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “We’ve seen time and again, when Labour negotiates, Britain loses. 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 passport e-gates on the continent.
“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.”
Ex-chief Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost said: “A lot of people seem to think we have no trade agreement with the EU at all.
“We’ve got this massive one that has been working perfectly well.
“But, of course, Labour have to say it’s working badly to justify all the concessions they’re about to make in the next couple of days.
“I don’t know what we’re getting out of this deal.”
‘Remainer bias’ Beeb
THE BBC was accused of shameless anti-Brexit bias yesterday after one of its flagship programmes was overwhelmingly filled by Remain-supporting guests.
Radio 4’s The World This Weekend featured four pro-EU interviews.
For so-called balance, the broadcaster featured a comment from Nigel Farage on the possibility of British troops joining European defence missions.
And it featured criticism of the UK having to align with the EU on food standards from Tory Shadow Minister Alex Burghart.
Ex-Trade Secretary John Redwood accused the BBC of failing to provide a “balancing expert or interview on migration, discounted access to UK universities and the giveaway of fish”.
Sir Keir will meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to thrash out the outcome of a secretive agreement, months in the making.
One of the main benefits anticipated is giving British holidaymakers access to passport e-gates in EU member states.
Having to wait in lengthy queues at borders has become a major bugbear for UK tourists.
And British firms will have access to a €150billion fund for military procurement.
But shorter airport queues will come at a major cost for the fishing industry and already sky-high net migration figures.
Sir Keir is understood to be considering prolonging European access to British fishing waters by several years — subject to a cap on the amount of catch.
And a “dynamic alignment” on food standards would drag Britain back into the bloc by the back door, it is claimed.
Falling under European jurisdiction would endanger a future agricultural deal with the US.
Mr Trump is unlikely to sign off abiding by EU standards, which he has publicly criticised, to trade with the UK.
One of the biggest expected concessions is a new youth mobility scheme.
The visa route for under-35s could pave the way for 80million new migrants — or 150million if nine “candidate countries” — including Albania and North Macedonia — are allowed to join.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister for EU relations, yesterday refused to confirm the new immigration route would have a cap.
Brussels negotiators have been steadfast against putting any limits on the scheme.
A Downing Street source said: “The EU are blocking the specific word ‘capped’ going in any text. The current wording is terrible.”
Desperately attempting to defend the surrender deal yesterday, Mr Thomas-Symonds told the BBC: “We know we’ve had lorries waiting for 16 hours, fresh food in the back not able to be exported because it’s just going off.
“Red tape, all the certifications that are required, we absolutely want to reduce that.”
He claimed aligning with EU food standards would “make sure we get far easier trade” and any youth mobility scheme would have to be “smart and controlled”.
The minister insisted: “What we are looking to do, we don’t come at this from an ideological perspective, we come from a practical perspective.
“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 had to stop trading with the EU because of the red tape can start trading with the EU again.”
A No 10 source said: “Throughout the last six months of negotiations with the European Union, the Prime Minister has been clear he will only agree a deal which delivers in the UK national interest.
“Huge progress has been made in agreeing a mutually beneficial deal with the EU — one that will deliver for British working people.
“Our focus is on doing a deal that delivers on the PM’s core mission of growing the economy and putting more money into the pockets of hardworking British people.”
TOUGH TALKER IS A BIG BLUFFER
By CHRIS PHILP, Shadow Home Secretary
WHENEVER Labour negotiates, Britain loses.
Keir Starmer is shamefully giving away the Chagos Islands then paying to rent them back.
The two-tier tax deal with India was deeply unfair to British businesses.
And today we will see him roll over once again at his EU surrender summit.
Immigration is likely to be part of Starmer’s surrender.
While he now talks tough for the cameras, we all know he doesn’t believe a word of it.
He is still the same man who thinks cutting migration is “economic vandalism” and who wanted to shut immigration removal centres.
Today is the Prime Minister’s first step in a walk of shame back to the EU’s stranglehold so he can crack our borders even wider open.
His Minister for the EU told MPs last month: “It is not part of our plans.”
But the mask has slipped, and the same minister now admits that they are going for a youth migration deal after all.
This could become free movement by the back door.
It would make it far easier for hordes of unemployed to come here at a time when Labour is driving unemployment through the roof.
It will also jeopardise our national security.
Some EU member states, such as Germany, allow illegal immigrants to become citizens after just three years.
Some would then be able to come to the UK.
However they spin it, this deal won’t be a “reset”.
It is a surrender. And I’ll stand firmly against it in Britain’s national interest.