Market News

An agreement that would see British travellers able to use e-gates currently reserved for those from the EU or European Economic Area is reportedly close.

BY James Cheng-Morris·Freelance news writer, Yahoo UK

Five years after Brexit, Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce a major new deal with the EU.

It comes as the prime minister will host a major summit with its leaders, including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa, in London on Monday.

Ahead of this, Starmer said the deal would be "another step forwards, with yet more benefits for the UK" and "a strengthened partnership with the EU".

But with talks going "to the wire", what could be included in the deal? Here is what we know so far.

Shorter passport queues for Britons

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, who is leading the negotiations on the UK side, has confirmed the government is pushing for measures to speed up the process for British holidaymakers going through passport control in the EU.

ADVERTISEMENT

He told Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: "I would love to see you being able to go through the border more quickly in that way. That's certainly something we've been pushing with the EU and I think that will be something that will be very helpful to British people."

The Guardian reported negotiators are close to an agreement that would see British travellers able to use e-gates at European airports currently reserved for people from the EU or European Economic Area. Since Brexit, Britons have had to queue at passport control.

Reciprocal youth mobility scheme

In an interview with The Times on Friday, Starmer gave his clearest signal yet that he is open to a youth mobility scheme with the EU in which young Europeans would be allowed to live in the UK for a limited period - and vice versa.

The EU has pushed for a youth mobility scheme, similar to existing arrangements between the UK and countries including Australia and Canada, and the concession could be used to secure British access to a major European defence fund (see next section).

YouGov polling has suggested the policy is supported by more than two-thirds of Britons.

While Starmer, who recently announced major new immigration policies, insisted a youth mobility deal "is not freedom of movement", this has been questioned by opposition parties.

Tory Alex Burghart, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that an uncapped youth mobility scheme with the EU would lead to "much higher immigration", though he added he is waiting to see "what the deal is. Even at this late stage, we don't know... they can't tell us how old a young person is. They can't tell us what benefits they would get."

Labour's Thomas-Symonds said any youth mobility deal with Europe will be "controlled", telling the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: "We have, already, 13 youth mobility schemes with other countries. Nobody is remotely suggesting that that is freedom of movement with those countries - it absolutely isn't."

Access to EU defence fund

Starmer and EU leaders have said they want to see closer defence and security co-operation, and reports have suggested a deal on British access to a £126bn EU defence fund is on the table, in what would be a boost for UK defence companies.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, arguments over fishing rights and the youth mobility scheme, outlined above, may provide stumbling blocks to that.

Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, said on Friday that work was progressing on a defence deal but that "we're not there yet".

Chatham House, an international affairs think tank, said the fund is "designed to help member states replenish and modernise their armed forces. A security and defence partnership should enable UK companies to fully access this facility, as similar partnerships do for other countries. It would make sense to bring the UK in, to strengthen the programme and align it with wider European defence efforts."

Recent YouGov polling, commissioned by pro-EU campaign group Best for Britain, has indicated Britons back closer defence ties, with 69% of those polled in favour.

Food and drink exports

The government has been "negotiating very hard" for a deal on food and drink exports with the EU, Thomas-Symonds said.

He told Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: "This is an area at the moment where the current deal just isn't working.

"We know we've had lorries waiting for 16 hours, fresh food in the back not able to be exported because frankly it's just going off. Red tape, all the certifications that are required: we absolutely want to reduce that."

Speaking to Sky, Thomas-Symonds said he was "confident" a deal can be done that "makes our borders more secure, is good for jobs and growth, and brings people's household bills down".

Asked how much people could expect to save on their shopping if a deal is struck, Thomas-Symonds was unable to give a figure.