Amid all the promises of the UK resetting its relationship with the EU, progress so far has been quite limited. Although a handful of agreements with individual member states have been signed, things probably haven’t moved as swiftly as many would’ve hoped.
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Reset talks: This is where we’re at now…
Keir Starmer vowed to strengthen ties with the trading bloc, following a decade of bitter barbs in the wake of the Brexit referendum. Although Sir Keir has endeared himself to some European leaders, concerns have been raised about the speed of this reset.
As per Politico, the next significant set of talks will take place on 3 February, with a British delegation flying over to Brussels. It’s understood that some progress is likely to be made on hammering out a defence pact between the UK and the EU.
“We see strong potential to move forward with the UK. The meeting on 3 February 2025 is a good opportunity to discuss defence. Then we have to assess whether we have agreement to move forward with that, on both sides.” | EU official
UK-EU reset slowdown drives official to quote Spice Girls
Despite this initial optimism, several obstacles lie in Sir Keir’s way. There is currently a legal case being brought by the EU Commission against the UK government, and rows over youth mobility and fishing quotas remain a thorny issue.
The new Labour administration has had to tread carefully – and it may well be another bone of contention for those based in Brussels. One representative of the Strasbourg Committee recently channelled the Spice Girls to express their frustration.
‘If EU Wannabe our trade partner…’
Compelling Starmer and his colleagues to ‘tell us what you want, what you really really want’, the official’s comments show that patience may be wearing thin as the diplomatic dance continues. The onus, it seems, is now on the UK to accelerate these talks.
With a series of high-profile delegations from Britain and the EU set to meet later this year, the wheels could start turning a little faster. Let’s just hope these talks don’t end with one party asking the other to ‘stop right now’…