Good morning. Keir Starmer repeatedly says it is unnecessary, and wrong, for Britain to choose between closer links with the US or with Europe. It is an awkward position for many on the left who believe that a choice between a country under irrational, authoritarian leadership, and an alliance of liberal democracies, should be a no-brainer. TheConservativeswant the UK to choose the US.
But there are signs that, behind Starmer’s boilerplate rhetoric, his administration is making a choice. Here are three overnight developments pointing in that direction.
Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, has said the UK’s trading relationship with the EU is “arguably even more important” than its relationship with the US.She made this comment ina BBC interviewfrom Washington, where today she is meeting her US counterpart, Scott Bessant. Reeves told Faisal Islam:
In one respect, this is a perfectly mundane thing to say. The only controversial thing about it should be Reeves’s use of the word “arguably”, because saying that trade with the EU is more important than trade with the US is just a statement of fact. (They are not even close; on all measures,the EU trade is much larger.) But it is still unusual to hear a Labour minister talk like this given that the government is normally very nervous about sounding remainy, and the statement somewhat undermines Starmer’s ‘false choice’ argument.
The UK and the EU seem increasingly close to agreeing some sort of youth mobility scheme.Ministers don’t like using the term because they worry Brexiters will associate it with free movement. “A youth mobility scheme is not part of our plans,”Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister in charge of post-Brexit relations with the EU, told MPs yesterday. But a reportin theTimestodaysays “there is growing support among government ministers for a youth mobility scheme”. Yvette Cooper, who as home secretary is focused on reducing net migration, had been seen as a blocker. But the Times says she is now open to a scaled down youth mobility scheme, such as a “one in one out” version. It says:
Downing Street has said that Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen want the UK-EU post-Brexit reset, which is due to be agreed at a summit next month, to be “as ambitious as possible”.Starmer and von der Leyen met in No 10 yesterday, and last night aNo 10 spokespersonissued this readout.
Downing Street readouts are normally dull to the point of meaninglessness and so for No 10 to say that the conversation was “long and productive” almost implies ‘get a room’ levels of cordiality. And the line about the deal being “as ambitious as possible” is tantalising in its implications.
Here is the agenda for the day.
Morning:Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, will be campaigning with Luke Campbell, his party’s candidate for mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, in Hull. Later they will be in Beverley.
9.30am:MPs debate private members’ bills, starting with Stephen Gethins’ devolution (immigration) (Scotland) bill.
Morning:Kemi Badenoch is campaigning in Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.
11.30am:Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
Morning:Carla Denyer, the Green party’s co-leader, is campaigning in Dartford in Kent.
Afternoon:North Kesteven district council is expected to rule ona claimthat Reform UK’s Andrea Jenkyns cannot be a candidate for Greater Lincolnshire mayor because the address where she is registered to vote in the constituency is not her main home.
4pm (UK time):Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is meeting the US treasury secretary Scott Bessent in Washington.
If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian hasgiven up posting from its official accounts on Xbut individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.
I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
Boris Johnsonhas issued stern criticism of Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace proposals in one of his first apparent censures of the US president, saying under his terms the Ukrainians would “get nothing”,Jessica Elgotreports.
Good morning. Keir Starmer repeatedly says it is unnecessary, and wrong, for Britain to choose between closer links with the US or with Europe. It is an awkward position for many on the left who believe that a choice between a country under irrational, authoritarian leadership, and an alliance of liberal democracies, should be a no-brainer. TheConservativeswant the UK to choose the US.
But there are signs that, behind Starmer’s boilerplate rhetoric, his administration is making a choice. Here are three overnight developments pointing in that direction.
Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, has said the UK’s trading relationship with the EU is “arguably even more important” than its relationship with the US.She made this comment ina BBC interviewfrom Washington, where today she is meeting her US counterpart, Scott Bessant. Reeves told Faisal Islam:
In one respect, this is a perfectly mundane thing to say. The only controversial thing about it should be Reeves’s use of the word “arguably”, because saying that trade with the EU is more important than trade with the US is just a statement of fact. (They are not even close; on all measures,the EU trade is much larger.) But it is still unusual to hear a Labour minister talk like this given that the government is normally very nervous about sounding remainy, and the statement somewhat undermines Starmer’s ‘false choice’ argument.
The UK and the EU seem increasingly close to agreeing some sort of youth mobility scheme.Ministers don’t like using the term because they worry Brexiters will associate it with free movement. “A youth mobility scheme is not part of our plans,”Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister in charge of post-Brexit relations with the EU, told MPs yesterday. But a reportin theTimestodaysays “there is growing support among government ministers for a youth mobility scheme”. Yvette Cooper, who as home secretary is focused on reducing net migration, had been seen as a blocker. But the Times says she is now open to a scaled down youth mobility scheme, such as a “one in one out” version. It says:
Downing Street has said that Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen want the UK-EU post-Brexit reset, which is due to be agreed at a summit next month, to be “as ambitious as possible”.Starmer and von der Leyen met in No 10 yesterday, and last night aNo 10 spokespersonissued this readout.
Downing Street readouts are normally dull to the point of meaninglessness and so for No 10 to say that the conversation was “long and productive” almost implies ‘get a room’ levels of cordiality. And the line about the deal being “as ambitious as possible” is tantalising in its implications.
Here is the agenda for the day.
Morning:Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, will be campaigning with Luke Campbell, his party’s candidate for mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, in Hull. Later they will be in Beverley.
9.30am:MPs debate private members’ bills, starting with Stephen Gethins’ devolution (immigration) (Scotland) bill.
Morning:Kemi Badenoch is campaigning in Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.
11.30am:Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
Morning:Carla Denyer, the Green party’s co-leader, is campaigning in Dartford in Kent.
Afternoon:North Kesteven district council is expected to rule ona claimthat Reform UK’s Andrea Jenkyns cannot be a candidate for Greater Lincolnshire mayor because the address where she is registered to vote in the constituency is not her main home.
4pm (UK time):Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is meeting the US treasury secretary Scott Bessent in Washington.
If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian hasgiven up posting from its official accounts on Xbut individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.
I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.