Negotiations to reset the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU are going “to the wire”, a Cupboard Workplace minister has stated.
“There is no final deal as yet. We are in the very final hours,” the UK’s lead negotiator Nick Thomas-Symonds informed Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
On the opportunity of a youth mobility scheme with the EU, he insisted “nothing is agreed until everything is”.
“We would be open to a smart, controlled youth mobility scheme,” he stated. “But I should set out, we will not return to freedom of movement.”
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Put to the minister that the federal government couldn’t assure there shall be a deal by tomorrow afternoon, Mr Thomas-Symonds stated: “Nobody can guarantee anything when you have two parties in a negotiation.”
However the minister stated he remained “confident” a deal could possibly be reached “that makes our borders more secure, is good for jobs and growth, and brings people’s household bills down”.
“That is what is in our national interest and that’s what we will continue to do over these final hours,” he stated.
“We have certainly been taking what I have called a ruthlessly pragmatic approach.”
On agricultural merchandise, foods and drinks, Mr Thomas-Symonds stated supermarkets have been crying out for a deal as a result of the established order “isn’t working”, with “lorries stuck for 16 hours and food rotting” and producers and farmers unable to export items due to the quantity of “red tape”.
Requested how a lot folks might anticipate to avoid wasting on procuring on account of the deal the federal government hoped to barter, the minister was unable to offer a determine.
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On the difficulty of fishing, requested if a deal would imply permitting French boats into British waters, the minister stated the Brexit deal which lowered EU fishing in UK waters by 1 / 4 over 5 years involves an finish subsequent yr.
He stated the targets now included “an overall deal in the interest of our fishers, easier access to markets to sell our fish and looking after our oceans”.
Turning to borders, the minister was requested if folks would be capable to transfer by means of queues at airports sooner.
Once more, he couldn’t give a definitive reply, however stated it was “certainly something we have been pushing with the EU… we want British people who are going on holiday to be able to go and enjoy their holiday, and not be stuck in queues”.
PM opens door to EU youth mobility scheme
A deal granting the UK entry to a serious EU defence fund could possibly be on the desk, in response to stories – and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has appeared to sign a youth mobility deal could possibly be attainable, telling The Occasions that whereas freedom of motion is a “red line”, youth mobility doesn’t come beneath this.
The European Fee has proposed opening negotiations with the UK on an settlement to facilitate youth mobility between the EU and the UK. The scheme would permit each UK and EU residents aged between 18 and 30 years outdated to remain for as much as 4 years in a rustic of their selecting.
Earlier this month, Dwelling Secretary Yvette Cooper informed Phillips a youth mobility scheme was not the strategy the federal government wished to take to carry internet migration down.
When this was put to him, Mr Thomas-Symonds insisted any deal on a youth mobility scheme with Europe must be “smart” and “controlled” and shall be “consistent” with the federal government’s immigration coverage.
Requested what the federal government had bought in return for a youth mobility scheme – now there had been a change in strategy – the minister stated: “It is about an overall balanced package that works for Britain. The government is 100% behind the objective of getting net migration down.”
Phillips stated greater than one million younger folks got here to the nation between 2004 and 2015. “If there isn’t a cap – that’s what we are talking about,” he stated.
The minister insisted such a scheme can be “controlled” – however refused to say whether or not there can be a cap.
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‘It’s going to be a nasty deal’
Shadow cupboard workplace minister Alex Burghart informed Phillips an uncapped youth mobility scheme with the EU would result in “much higher immigration”, including: “It sounds very much as though it’s going to be a bad deal.”
Requested if the Conservatives would scrap any EU deal, he stated: “It relies upon what the deal is, Trevor. And we nonetheless, even at this late stage, we don’t know.
“The federal government can’t inform us whether or not everybody will be capable to come. They’ll’t inform us how outdated the younger particular person is. They’ll’t inform us what advantages they might get.
“So I think when people hear about a youth mobility scheme, they think about an 18-year-old coming over working at a bar. But actually we may well be looking at a scheme which allows 30-year-olds to come over and have access to the NHS on day one, to claim benefits on day one, to bring their extended families.”
He added: “So there are obviously very considerable disadvantages to the UK if this deal is done in the wrong way.”
Jose Manuel Barroso, former EU Fee president, informed Phillips it “makes sense” for a stronger relationship to exist between the European Union and the UK, including: “We are stronger together.”
He stated he understood fishing and youth mobility are the important thing sticking factors for a UK-EU deal.
“Frankly, what is at stake… is much more important than those specific issues,” he stated.
