‘Labour should be unafraid to stand up to Tories and Reform over EU deal’

There are many fights that the Labour movement can have, but geography shouldn’t be one of them.

For ten years our relationship with our neighbours in Europe has been dominated by the divisions of Brexit.

Now the UK has taken the first steps towards addressing the devastating impact it has had our economy, our security and our trade – looking not to reopen old wounds , but how to reset our relationship with our neighbours for a mutual future.

Hard Brexit was the unashamed choice for Boris Johnson and David Frost – a choice for which many have paid the price since as exports have tumbled, jobs have been lost and our security put at risk.

This is a step forward

Their Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the EU erected barrier after barrier to working with anyone or anything including the word Europe on any issue- so much so that even Lord Frost admitted it was “too purist” and “[made] life difficult on both sides [for] youth mobility, movement of specialists like musicians and artists”.

This deal represents not a leap back into the EU, but a step forward in doing business again with those closest to us. This rightly starts with defence and security – in a world where Putin threatens, it seems inconceivable now that Johnson’s hatred of all things European meant he refused to contemplate anything involving defence and foreign policy cooperation.

READ MORE: Labour must show it’s about regaining strength, not a Europhile reset

The new Security and Defence Partnership by comparison will ensure we are stronger together – from in dealing with cyberattacks, to maritime piracy, to foreign interference in our democracies.

The past few years have taught us again that security and prosperity are closely linked, and this deal will help tackle the cost of energy and its impact on British business.

Linking our emissions trading schemes means we can ensure those who export carbon intensive products like steel and cement can continue to trade with Europe without being penalised by the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and are protected from cheap imports being dumped here in return.

An SPS deal means British farmers and food producers can finally get relief from the main by-product of Tory hard Brexit: reams and reams of paperwork.

The export certificates that cost hundreds of pounds to secure for a single cheese will no longer be required either on our side of the border or theirs.

British business overwhelmingly supports the deal

This can only be a good thing – especially in Northern Ireland, where the madness of Johnson’s deal means a sausage roll made in one part of Belfast cannot be sold for consumption 500 metres across the border. Today’s deal sets out the framework for removing the vast majority of checks and controls on British food exports to the EU, and some of the headaches that led 16,000 businesses to give up selling to Europe entirely.

Whilst the Tories decry the ‘dynamic alignment’ this requires, British business has come out overwhelmingly to support this as stable and sensible regulation – finally addressing the fantasy that we could make up our own standards for goods such as energy or cheese and abide by those alone.

In reality, British producers can’t expect the same treatment in the EU as producers from EU countries if they don’t play by the same rules. Yet even here the deal allows the UK consultation powers about future regulations – the public, faced with the choice of chlorinated chicken or higher European standards for their burgers, will know which they would prefer.

Youth mobility

It also starts the conversation about what a new relationship with Europe could look like for all those who had no say over their future in the first place. Youth mobility schemes currently exist with thirteen other countries, from Australia, to Uruguay.

The decision to formally commit to negotiating such a scheme for UK and EU’s next generation – as well as to being associated with Erasmus+ and to look at visas for cultural exchange, opens doors to opportunity those who negotiated this deal firmly wedged shut.

For better or worse, none of this is close to free movement: visas will need to be obtained, the period of study, work, or travel will be time-limited, and it will bring no entitlement to benefits or housing.

None of this will be enough for those who wanted us to divert into the full-scale treaty negotiations rejoin would entail for the next decade – nor will it satisfy those who still cling to the idea Brexit can be perfected.

But this is the start of something good – and, if the tough negotiations to come on detail are successful – it is likely the start of serious growth in our economy, too, which can be used to open many other doors.

As Tory and Reform politicians alike denounce it and demand a reversal, so Labour should be unafraid to stand up to stop them dragging us back again to the chaos of the Brexit years. The future must be ours to shape, not theirs to ruin.

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