BREXIT BETRAYED
Starmer ‘done up like a kipper’ as he agrees EU surrender deal allowing foreign trawlers to plunder UK waters for YEARS
Sir Keir denied being 'done up like a kipper' in the deal at a press conference
SIR Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset deal was last night panned as a humiliating surrender — as he was accused of being done up like a kipper.
The EU ambushed the UK with a late demand for 12 more years of French and Spanish trawlers plundering our waters.
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The PM caved in hook, line and stinker to ensure key Eurocrats came to his “landmark summit” in London yesterday to agree the deal.
It means young Europeans can study, work or just sightsee here via a “Youth experience scheme”, with a possible 80million eligible.
Euro judges will yet again enforce reams of red tape binding our food and agriculture industry to laws over which we have no control.
The terms of the accord will add just 0.3 per cent growth in 15 years’ time — with Brexiteers slamming it as an “appalling sell-out”.
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Brussels agreed to soften checks on food goods entering the bloc and stop forcing British tourists to queue for hours at borders.
Britain can also access EU defence funds and uni exchange programmes, with travelling artists to be excluded from overbearing visa restrictions.
However, it is all subject to months of talks and comes with a price tag of potentially billions.
Boris Johnson called his successor an “orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels”.
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He accused him of “again going back on his promises — by making us non-voting members of a two-tier European Union”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage feared the end of the fishing industry. Deputy Richard Tice said “the white flag has been waved outside Downing Street”.
Keir Starmer makes HUGE concession as Brexit ‘surrender’ deal ‘agreed’ – with UK dragged back into shackles of Europe
Sir Keir later denied being “done up like a kipper” at a press conference.
WHAT A LOAD OF POLLOCKS
SIR Keir Starmer yesterday surrendered British fishing waters for another 12 years after being reeled in by a classic EU ambush.
The Prime Minister had announced at the weekend that he would sign his coveted “reset” deal with Brussels come what may.
Spotting their chance to do him up like a kipper, negotiators then sprung their demand for a dozen years of access to our waters.
The hard-nosed EU team knew the PM would not be able to say no, for fear of not getting his beloved pact agreed.
Sir Keir, who backed Remain in the 2016 Brexit vote, stands accused of an “appalling sell-out” after signing up to EU food and farm rules forever — and paying billions for the privilege.
But, despite trumpeting the deal as a win for Britain, it will only add a meagre 0.3 per cent to GDP in 15 years’ time according to No 10’s own spin.
Sir Keir insisted: “It’s time to look forward.
We’re ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people’s lives here at home. So that’s what this deal is all about — facing out into the world once again, in the great tradition of this nation
Sir Keir Starmer
“To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.
“We’re ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people’s lives here at home. So that’s what this deal is all about — facing out into the world once again, in the great tradition of this nation.
But under the reset deal, the biggest shift since Britain officially left the EU in 2020, we will once again be dragged under the control of Euro judges — with no say on any future rule changes.
And tens of thousands of Europeans will be allowed to come here to work, study or travel under a new Youth Experience Scheme, which critics are calling free movement by the back door.
Up to 80 million people could be eligible to apply.
In return European countries will be encouraged to allow Brits to use e-gates at airports and checks will be relaxed on food products entering the single market.
And the EU has agreed to talks about British firms accessing a Europe-wide defence fund — but it is likely that will come with a hefty membership fee.
Most controversially the PM has signed away access to our fishing grounds, allowing French and Spanish trawlers to hoover up our fish for another 12 years.
'Stitched up'
That last-minute request came late on Sunday evening, with the EU Commission threatening to pull out of yesterday’s London summit if Sir Keir did not back down.
Shetland Fishermen’s Association chairman James Anderson insisted: “The fact is that we are sadly not like Iceland, or Norway, or a country that still recognises the value of protecting our own fishing fleet and fishing grounds.
“Normally, nations negotiate fishing access and quota transfers on an annual basis.
“Overnight, the EU has been allowed to renege on annual negotiations and instead enjoy a 12-year deal, with UK fishing crews forced to give up their grounds and fish stocks again in exchange for what?”
At a press conference alongside EC President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, Sir Keir rejected claims that he had “been “stitched up like a kipper”.
He insisted: “The length of time for the agreement provides stability because what would have happened next year is we would have come off the current arrangements, but then into year-on-year negotiations where nobody knows year-on-year where they stand.
“This gives stability in relation to that. It also opens the door for shellfish and the like to be sold back into the European market which wasn’t available before this and of course, we have announced the £360million transformation fund. This is good for fishing.”
The reset deal also means Britain will follow the EU’s food standards but only be involved in the “early stages” of setting rules, with the European Court of Justice having the ultimate say.
The small-print of the deal also shows that taxpayers will have to make an “appropriate financial contribution” to the EU.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared that the latest sell-out marked the potential “end of the fishing industry”, while his deputy leader Richard Tice warned “the white flag has been waved outside Downing Street”.
The fact is that we are sadly not like Iceland, or Norway, or a country that still recognises the value of protecting our own fishing fleet and fishing grounds
James Anderson, Shetland Fishermen’s Association chairman
Ex-PM Boris Johnson slammed Sir Keir as the “orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels”.
He said: “Two-tier Keir is once again going back on his promises to the people of this country — by making us non-voting members of a two-tier European Union.
“Under this appalling sellout of a deal the UK will have to accept EU law on a host of measures from food standards to emissions trading.”
Meanwhile, the PM insisted British holidaymakers must be allowed to use e-gates at European airports this summer.
'very concerning'
Since Brexit thousands of travellers to the EU have faced hours of delays as countries drag their heels over passport checks.
The European Commission says there is now no legal barrier to e-gate use for Britons travelling to and from EU countries.
And the PM said: “We will be and are pressing to get on with this straight away.
“Because for holidaymakers wanting to get out this summer, they will want to know that they can do so easily, without delay and chaos.” Sir Keir also said there was no “inhibition” to an e-gates deal going ahead as soon as possible.
It comes as European countries roll out a new entry-exit scheme this autumn that will replace the physical stamping of passports.
However, it will require third country nationals to provide fingerprints and biometrics.
Asked if there would still be a delay without a deal done on the entry-exit system, Sir Keir added: “We want to reduce the friction as much as possible, I think there are probably some one-off measures that any new system is bound to need.
"But I want people to be able to cross borders quickly, easily, and I think e-gates is a really important step in the right direction.”
Neil Swanson, managing director of holiday firm TUI, said: “Ideally this would be in place before the peak summer season and for the launch of the entry-exit scheme this autumn at the latest.”
Britain has also struck a defence pact with the EU.
Companies will gain access to a £126billion EU-wide weapons fund although we face having to pay millions for the privilege, subject to more talks.
And both sides have agreed to continue discussions on a controversial youth mobility scheme. The UK has signed up to Erasmus+ — an arrangement which would allow Europeans to live, study and work here for up to three years.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch hit out at Labour’s reset deal.
She said: “Twelve years’ access to British waters is three times longer than the government wanted.
“We’re becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again. And with no details on any cap or time limits on youth mobility, fears of free movement returning will only increase. This is very concerning.”
WHAT IS IN THE DEAL?
FISHING WATERS
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UK fishing waters given to EU fleets until 2038.
Reclaiming our waters was meant to be one of Brexit’s big wins. But EU boats will continue to get 75 per cent of their pre-Brexit quota.
The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation called it a “horror show”.
Nigel Farage said the deal could be the end of the industry.
SELL-OUT RATING: 5/5
RULE TAKING
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IN so-called “dynamic alignment”, Britain must follow EU rules on energy, food safety and farming.
This also includes regulations on pesticides. Our food exports will then avoid long checks at ports.
Ex-Brexit negotiator Lord Frost said: “We wanted to govern ourselves. What a pity our establishment didn’t.”
SELL-OUT RATING: 4/5
MONEY TO EU
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THE UK must make “appropriate” cash contributions to the EU budget — possibly billions of pounds.
Brits will be on the line for paying to access the EU’s £120billion rearmament fund as part of a defence pact.
Money will also go to support costs on an emissions scheme, and payments to sign up to follow food standards.
SELL-OUT RATING: 4/5
FREE MOVEMENT
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FEARS of free movement by the back door rose after a “youth experience scheme” was agreed.
Potentially 80million people may be eligible to apply for visas to live and work in the UK.
Officials say it will be time-limited and capped.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the lack of detail was “concerning”.
SELL-OUT RATING: 5/5
EURO COURT
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THE European Court of Justice will resume its position as the ultimate authority on disputes involving EU law.
This means our judicial independence is undermined in battles over trade, carbon markets or food standards.
Reform UK’s Richard Tice said: “The white flag has been waved.”
SELL-OUT RATING: 5/5
LAW & ORDER
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A RARE win. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will have talks to start on exchanges of data on fingerprints, DNA and criminal records.
Ministers say it will enhance our ability to catch dangerous criminals.
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Critics say that the EU should never have refused co-operation in the first place.
SELL-OUT RATING: 1/5
Starmer has made Britain the EU's gimp
By Dan Hannan
WHAT a humiliation. We have given Brussels everything it wanted and ended up paying for the privilege.
Sir Keir Starmer always hated Brexit. For three years, he campaigned to overturn the referendum.
Now, unable to go back in, has agreed that
We will be a non-voting member, a captive market for EU exports, a supplier of fish for French and Spanish skippers, of soldiers for EU deployments, of subsidised university places for Eurocrats’ children.
Britain will become the EU’s gimp, trussed up in black leather and zips, with a ball-gag in its mouth.
And all because, since 2016, Starmer has felt a deep emotional need to apologise on behalf of the British electorate.
To see how one-sided the agreement is, let’s think of what the two sides’ objectives were before.
The EU had a long list. Since Donald Trump effectively withdrew the US security guarantee from Europe, Eurocrats have wanted Britain, a nuclear state with the most powerful Armed Forces in the region, to take up some of the slack.
They wanted continued access to the richest fishing grounds in Europe, something that was supposed to be phased out gradually after Brexit.
They wanted to send their unemployed youngsters here and to continue to educate their children at UK universities without paying overseas fees.
Above all, they wanted to control our trade policy. The UK is by far their biggest export market for foodstuffs. Their fear throughout was that Britain might lift the barriers Brussels that had put in the way of non-EU imports, usually dressed up as consumer protection measures, though in reality they are about keeping out competition.
If Britain were to follow the science and remove these barriers, it would cease to be a captive market. Beef from Australia, Uruguay, the US and Canada would replace imports from France and Ireland.
To prevent that outcome, it was not enough for Britain to adopt the same food standards as the EU. No, we had to cede control. We had to let the EU set our food standards in perpetuity.
The agreement just signed makes it impossible for British farmers to get a competitive edge in areas like gene editing. It could force us to undo the reforms we have made over the past four years and might threaten our existing trade deals.
So much for what the EU wanted. What of Britain?
Actually, our position was pretty comfortable. We already hadthe most comprehensive deal that the EU has with any state not in the process of joining it, with no tariffs or quotas. We had finally started to use our Brexit freedoms to be more competitive in fields like AI.
We had struck trade deals with the Pacific bloc, India and (much to Eurocrats’ annoyance) the US.
No, the only real irritation we had, a legacy of the Benn Surrender Act, when Europhile MPs prevented us from leaving the EU other than on terms that Brussels approved, was checks at the Irish border.
The only fair way to dismantle those checks was to agree a mutual recognition deal on food. We would accept stuff that the EU passed as fit, and they would do the same. Brussels has long had such a deal with New Zealand, and our standards are closer to its own than those of Kiwi exporters.
But mutual recognition would not keep the UK as a captive export market. So the EU held out for total control, what it called “dynamic alignment” (though few things are less dynamic than the EU).
Naturally, it has got its way. On this, as on every other issue, Labour has been reduced to pretending that, in giving in to the EU, it is somehow getting what it wanted all along.
Thus handing Brussels control of our regulations becomes “easier exports”.
Caving into EU demands on free movement becomes “a balanced youth experience scheme”. Though how anyone can justify giving EU students a better deal than Commonwealth students is utterly beyond me.
, consider what ministers are trumpeting as their big victory, namely the ability to use EU passport e-gates. It is extraordinary that this right was ever withdrawn. We have always allowed EU nationals to use our gates, and quite right, too: we want our airports to be efficient.
If the EU wants to treat e-gates as a bargaining chip, the bargain should be simple reciprocity: you use ours, we use yours. But, no, to get even something so basic, we make a bunch of unrelated concessions.
And to cap it all, we are paying the EU unspecified sums for accepting all these concessions.
That is what happens when our leaders can’t forgive us for Brexit. Labour negotiates, Britain loses.
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