UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares legislation to reset relations with the EU, risking renewed Brexit battles and divisions within Labour
Nearly a decade after Britain’s Brexit battles paralysed parliament, the Labour government is preparing for a fresh round of political conflict as it moves closer to the European Union under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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After winning the July 2024 election and ending 14 years of Conservative rule, Starmer made restoring relations with the 27-member EU bloc a central pillar of his foreign and economic policy.
The government believes closer cooperation with Europe could help revive Britain’s sluggish economy and inject momentum into a premiership that has so far struggled to win strong public approval.
To that end, Labour is preparing legislation that would provide a legal framework for Starmer’s much-vaunted “reset” of UK-EU relations.
Despite the party’s commanding parliamentary majority, the bill is expected to trigger fierce resistance from right-wing parties, including the Conservatives and the hard-right Reform UK, which currently leads opinion polls.
“Bring it on,” a UK government official told AFP, anticipating accusations of a “Brexit betrayal” from opposition parties and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
The proposed legislation could also expose internal divisions within Labour, particularly over whether closer alignment with the EU might breach the party’s manifesto pledge not to rejoin the customs union.
Last year, Starmer secured an economic agreement with EU leaders designed to boost trade by reducing red tape on food and plant exports.
The UK and EU also agreed to work towards a new electricity deal that would integrate Britain into the EU’s internal electricity market, a move aimed at lowering energy costs.
Both initiatives would require Britain to align with EU rules in specific sectors. Although the bill has not yet been published, the government official said it would create a mechanism to allow such alignment while defining parliament’s role in the process.
“The bill will provide the powers to adopt the rules and set out the role parliament will play in that,” the official said.
The government hopes to introduce the legislation in the spring or summer, potentially around the 10th anniversary of the June 2016 Brexit referendum.
That vote ushered in years of bitter political deadlock, culminating in the resignation of former prime minister Theresa May before Boris Johnson’s 2019 election victory paved the way for Britain’s exit from the EU.
Public opinion has since shifted. Polls consistently show that most Britons now regret leaving the EU and view Brexit as a failure—sentiment Starmer hopes will strengthen support for closer alignment with Europe.
“Labour members are almost wholly united in wanting to see some of the damage done by the Tory-Farage Brexit exposed and fixed,” a Labour MP told AFP. “Closer alignment supports our economic message, has the backing of members and most MPs, and would boost British business.”
Still, disagreement remains within the party. Thirteen Labour MPs recently backed a Liberal Democrat bill calling for negotiations to rejoin the EU customs union. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has also indicated support for such a move, although Starmer has ruled it out, preferring closer links to the EU’s single market instead.
“I want us to do more,” one Labour MP said anonymously, arguing that the prime minister is being overly cautious. Others, however, have urged restraint.
“We said we wouldn’t reopen the Brexit debate, and now we are doing exactly that,” Labour MP Jonathan Hinder warned. “We can create a fairer, socialist Britain outside the EU, and that is what we should be focused on.”
A UK government spokesperson said the reset was already improving diplomatic, economic and security cooperation and could be worth £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040.
“We will legislate to deliver on this, and further details of the bill will be announced in due course,” the spokesperson said.
Ian Bond, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform think tank, said the impact of the bill would depend on how much freedom ministers allow themselves.
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“If it holds its nerve, it really doesn’t need to pay attention to these noises,” he said, adding that the government appears wary of provoking backlash from Reform UK if it moves too boldly.
