Keir Starmer’s EU Renegotiation Plans Revealed

In the event of Labour winning the next General Election, what exactly is Sir Keir Starmer’s approach to the European Union? And is it realistic?

During a recent interview with GB News, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour Leader, highlighted three pivotal sectors he wishes to revisit in the Brexit deal.

Starmer’s Stance On EU Membership

Starmer emphasised his party’s stance, stating there’s ‘no intention’ of the UK rejoining the European Union. He clarified, ‘We will not try to reverse the result, we do not intend to go back into the EU.’

He also dispelled rumours about going back into the single market or the customs union. However, he firmly believes that the current deal could be significantly improved. He further added, that whether it be security, arts and innovation, or trade, nearly everyone believes there is potential for enhancement.

Previous Negotiations With The EU

He admitted that the Conservatives too realised that some improvements in the protocol were needed, evidenced by the Prime Minister’s negotiations earlier this year, before once again reiterating that Labour has no plans to re-enter the EU.

In the past month, Starmer has expressed his reluctance to drift away from the EU’s principles, even though he’s consistently dismissed the idea of rejoining the bloc.

Starmer Addresses The Migrant Issue

Starmer also voiced his concerns about the migrant situation, criticising the Conservative Government for their perceived lack of border control. ‘The Government has lost control of the borders, that has to be addressed,’ he said.

He went on to say how it was imperative to dismantle the criminal networks behind the people smuggling trade. From Starmer’s time as Director for Public Prosecutions, he was part of initiatives to dismantle terrorist groups: ‘I am convinced we can smash the gangs that are running this vile trade.’

Despite his strong views, Starmer faced backlash for only briefly mentioning the issue of illegal migration in his recent Labour Conference speech. The speech, which lasted close to an hour, had a mere sentence dedicated to this most important issue.

The Labour leader said, ‘The movement of people, criminal gangs who exploit their vulnerability’, as one of the ‘challenges we must confront’.

Not surprisingly, the Conservative Party Chairman, Greg Hands, criticised the speech, suggesting Labour had ‘nothing to say.’

However, a source from the Labour party defended their position, stating their objectives were rooted in national security and the safeguarding of UK borders.

They added that Labour had made a ‘firm commitment to smashing criminal gangs and ending the small boat crossings. We made a specific trip to Europol to set out a concrete plan and deal with it.’