Labour's Plan to Repair UK-EU Relations Explained

[@gigachadgaming1551]

I feel like the “UK won’t join the EU in my lifetime” comment isn’t a hostile promise, but a sad obervation

[@CountScarlioni]

Yeah, I think the realistic Remainer (or should that be "returner" now?) dream at this point is associate member status, something similar to Norway. Full membership is a potentially impossible dream.

[@ecohipster7724]

@@CountScarlioni main Objective is to get back into the single market and customs union and restore freedom of movement yes the EU is what we all really want to be a part of never wanted to leave but if we could restore, we lost an accept rule over us as a Well citizen and speaking for Northern Ireland and Scotland we've always had rule over us so wouldn't be an issue but I do believe labour need to make these moves before their first parliament is over as the economic growth they need to make good on their manifesto won't occur with without joining the single market and Cooper potentially lead further rise to the vileness snake that is Farage

[@jokersauce5100]

​@@ecohipster7724For the love of god use punctuation, I'm getting an aneurysm.

[@tmarritt]

​@@CountScarlioni I like "returner"

[@anthonyferris8912]

@@ecohipster7724 You skipped too many English lessons.

[@chriszah13]

I'm old enough to remember that UK didn't want any coordination in Defence when they were in EU. Now they are all in to sign a closer Defence Agreement with EU.

[@aukebij3193]

in the new european defense pact signed on june 27 this year. There is a whole clause about involving third countries in this pac. among other things, that third countries cannot have a leading role but only a supporting role. The UK is terrified that if Trump wins and withdraws from NATO and NATO falls apart, the UK will fall through the cracks because it will no longer belong anywhere. so it is purely to save their own skin

[@diverguy3556]

The world is changing, geopolitics is shifting as China and India grow in power and influence, whilst the US becomes more unstable. Little Britain can't go it alone especially after isolating itself from the world's largest trading block and making itself poorer as a result. Blue passports, waving the union Jack and the British sense of superiority just aren't enough any more.

[@neojng]

we are fucked without the EU

[@M.g16300]

Yeah, because the UK isn’t the British empire anymore, and it’s way more beneficial to cooperate with our fellow Europeans than relegate ourselves to a satellite state of the Americans. But hey, if you want to voluntarily keep yourself in the illusion that the right wing politicians crafted about the UK being some first rate power, when at best all it will ever be is a second rate politician thanks to those same politicians making entirely stupid and headstrong decisions that only benefit themselves while ruining the country for everybody else, such as Brexit, even if so many people who voted for it are still unwilling to admit that they did, or admit how much of a mistake it was, because their own petty EGO is more important than the reality of the situation.

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

You most certainly Trump win the election, let's play Trump is out of the Nato alliance. Where would put the UK? Stamer already saw something at Nato and been smart enough to protect our country. And this only one factor. We can not afford to be out of EU and a fraction relationship with USA.

[@matthewcunningham6296]

"Liked that Macron was also short" 🤣

[@jabloko992]

Macron is actually average height for his time! (if you know, you know)

[@Mark-jt7ww]

@@jabloko992😂

[@WasiuAlatise]

BREXIT IS STOPPING MORE OF THIS 4 BILLION IN MIGRANT BENEFITS ALL THESE & YOU CAN'T FIND WORKERS LMFAO TO BUSY GIVING BIRTH 5.6 Million Eastern Europeans & growing in Britain hundreds of thousands of criminals, only 900,000 Brits in all of Europe 675,000 live births to mothers from EU countries adding a city NHS services to those families over £1.63bn.

[@paddy8254]

Came here for this

[@kingpuppet5881]

I'm short and I'm utterly fabulous, sweetheart.

[@karanaima]

The UK is like a person who broke up with their partner and then gets mad when they realize their ex is not suffering from the breakup like they are

[@soundscape26]

@@xander6522 It's not, the UK needs Europe more than Europe needs the UK.

[@moe583]

@@xander6522 cope

[@ThePopeOfAllDope]

@@xander6522 bro you’re literally proving @karanaima ‘s point lol

[@XMysticHerox]

@@xander6522 The EU has had higher GDP growth since Brexit and lower inflation. How exactly is it the other way around?

[@oatdilemma6395]

Do you think the UK is the only European country suffering? Google more, dunce.

[@nco1970]

"The EU has been treating food products coming from the UK as if they were coming from a 3rd country". No. The EU has been treating food products coming from the UK like all products coming from 3rd countries. The UK is a 3rd country.

[@Finnbobjimbob]

Nope

[@joebloggs4191]

This is actually not true! It is harder to import food products from the UK than it is from say China or any other country. Try it and see!

[@wengelder9256]

@MagnumGeorgeusyou must be clueless on what the Windsor agreement means .

[@samhartford8677]

@MagnumGeorgeus Nah. The Windsor Agreement only applies to GB goods going to NI (mostly to retail companies). The Windsor Agreement has nothing to do with GB-EU movement of goods.

[@Evus-st5di]

@MagnumGeorgeus Stop lying, you liar!

[@eeshtarr]

"as if they were coming from a third country"... they _are_ coming from a third country, ...

[@janfeger1148]

What, you mean leaving a tradeblock means you're no longer part of it? That can't be right

[@Vamooso]

To Northern Ireland, no?

[@blablup1214]

@@Vamooso It is what they wanted. Border has to be somewhere and UK wanted no border between the two parts of Ireland

[@reviewchan9806]

Useless distinction with arbitrary measures tbh

[@SurmaSampo]

Third country in this context is a country not part of the UK nor the EU i.e. of third party origin.

[@pashadia]

"as if they're coming from a third country" - they ARE coming from a third country mate

[@reviewchan9806]

Honestly kind of an arbitrary nonsensical distinction made by the West to feel good about itself

[@UnreachableString]

@@reviewchan9806 That makes no sense the term a third country just means that they are not a part of the EU and the EU doesn't have a trade deal in that sector. Meaning they are doing checks on those good as if they came from any country that doesn't have a specific deal with the EU to lower the amount if inspections. It was nothing to do with feeling good.

[@SurmaSampo]

​@@UnreachableStringno the term third country indicates the country of origin is neither the EU nor the UK in that trade e.g. chlorinated chicken from the USA or China being repacked in the UK for export to the EU.

[@UnreachableString]

@@SurmaSampo Yeah I didn't know the specifics of the differences but I just knew it was something like that

[@ulfosterberg9116]

@@reviewchan9806 under which stone have you been living the last six years? Third country. Not third world country. You can google it......

[@_Mercival_]

3:45 I love the wording here. The EU has treated imports from the UK as IF they were coming from a third country. Hmmmmm, might that have something to do with the UK exerting an exceptional amount of effort to indeed BE a third country 🤔🤔🤔

[@aronkingZ]

As Dutch, we benefited greatly when UK left EU. We got the European Medicine Agency with all its jobs and also loads of UK based offices in Netherlands, which created jobs for the Dutch population. So, statistically speaking, brexit benefitted other European countries, except for UK itself.

[@thespanishinquisition4078]

Spain here, same. Our docks benefitted so much from Brexit we literally saw UNPRECENDENTED GROWTH **DURING** the covid/trade war with Trump/Russia-Ukraine sanctions/trade war with China period. OUT MEANS OUT, WE DON'T WANT YOU LOT BACK.

[@MikeTheBike58]

Have you seen the state of the EU lately?

[@leehenry5764]

£870 billon exports higher than we was in EU. Faster growing economy than France & Germany so far this year. The IMF predicts UK could have highest growing economy in G7. But Net-zero could hold us back. And labour want 2030.

[@knowlex3787]

@@MikeTheBike58do u live in the eu

[@Exodius3]

@@leehenry5764Bro thats bcs germany is literally in recession bcs of an energy crisis and other political problems lol. Respect for not growing backwards hahaha

[@TheRealEtaoinShrdlu]

Starmer is right. There is no way in hell that the EU would accept the UK back in any time soon. The UK electorate would also not accept any deal from the EU, as that would mean adopting the Euro amongst maaaaany other things that Brits won't want.

[@WhichDoctor1]

Yeah, sadly we gave up our special privileged place in the EU, we aren’t going to get it back after all the hassle and upset we caused. So any rejoin will litterally be worse than we had before. That’s going to be a tough sell. For the time being anyway. But there are still lots of elements of the tories hard brexit that went way beyond simply leaving the EU, and if they are reversed a lot of the unnecessary damage can be alleviated

[@spittylama]

There are many different levels of cooperation with the EU. Neither Switzerland nor Norway have the Euro and still they manage to cooperate with each other. I don’t think that the EU would not accept the UK. The EU would just need have a clear defined relationship. The impossibility of the Brexit deal was due to the negotiation criteria set by the then UK government.

[@redvic83]

​@@CW-bw7pvbut it joined 20 years ago. Right now the UK would have to accept the Euro if it wanted to rejoin

[@JordyBoothy]

I vaguely recall EU officials being open to us negotiating a rejoin... Where are we getting the notion they'd refuse us?

[@Sir_Bucket]

​@@CW-bw7pv yeah but Poland never left the EU and then complained that it wants the same advantages as being in the EU without all the downsides. That's what UK did, and is still doing.

[@SemKeemink]

"Can he fix her?"

[@Grievous_Nix]

Bob the Builder, can we fix it? Bob the Builder, no it’s fucked!

[@WasiuAlatise]

BREXIT IS STOPPING MORE OF THIS 4 BILLION IN MIGRANT BENEFITS ALL THESE & YOU CAN'T FIND WORKERS LMFAO TO BUSY GIVING BIRTH 5.6 Million Eastern Europeans & growing in Britain hundreds of thousands of criminals, only 900,000 Brits in all of Europe 675,000 live births to mothers from EU countries adding a city NHS services to those families over £1.63bn.

[@zakgault4209]

​@@Grievous_Nix Aah you beat me to it! 😂

[@stephfoxwell4620]

No he can't

[@SodaDjinn]

Brexit works exactly as intended in that it makes everyone poorer and destabilizes the UK. There is nothing to be fixed, only to be abolished.

[@ElvisSirinBo]

"Labour's Plan to Repair UK-EU Relations Explained" delves into the strategies proposed by the Labour Party to mend the economic and political ties between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Post-Brexit, the relationship between the UK and the EU has been strained, affecting trade, investment, and overall economic stability. Labour's plan likely includes measures to streamline trade agreements, enhance cooperation on regulatory standards, and possibly seek closer alignment in certain policy areas.

[@JQ3B94]

​​@@Dawnjohnston-c3na she scammed me of all the money I had 100% a scammer

[@nonsensehelix]

bots are getting wild

[@Annathroy]

So UK wants EU benefits without actually being in EU

[@tonuka6257]

>delves ai spotted

[@Dawnjohnston-c3]

MARGARET ELLEN WHITLOCK, program is available online

[@tomwalsh2244]

Eh the EU is treating agricultural products from the Uk NOT AS IF they’re from a 3rd country as said there but, AS A 3rd country since THEY ARE FROM A 3rd country that wanted to be a 3rd country! TOTAL exceptionalism there.

[@Finnbobjimbob]

Nope

[@User-r5g5f]

The EU is also destroying the agricultural industries of The Netherlands and Ireland

[@Ryan_Alwi]

What’s with all the snobby EU comments claiming the UK should be treated as a 3rd country? We are not the same as India or Mexico…Iceland for instance is not in EU but has normalized trade relations, why can’t we be treated like them? EU wouldn’t even exist in its current form without the UK and we have robust quality standards for our goods yet all you guys seem to just want us to suffer and act like every Brit supported Leave when the next generation of young people couldn’t even vote. Both UK and EU citizens would benefit from better trade relations, why make fun of us for our desire for such?

[@tomwalsh2244]

@@Ryan_Alwi Are you REALLY that ignorant or is this just performative ignorance. Eh…A “THIRD COUNTRY” not a Third world country. ALL countries outside the EU are third countries for trade. First and second countries are countries for trade are inside the EU. Any country trading with the EU from outside is a third country.

[@tomwalsh2244]

@@Ryan_Alwi Also, your government decided they wanted to diverge standard wise. You can now have your cheap Australian beef that is grown on hormones and cheap chlorinated chicken but that WON’T be coming into the EU.

[@BobHerzog1962]

In the end any UK Goverment that wants to change the current sittuation has to accept that in order to get something you have to give something. The fact that you can't unilaterally decide on agreements is something that the hardliner Brexiteers failed to comprehend and threw the UK into chaos over. Because look at the current sittuation. In it's essentials it is what Theresa May was ready to sign. We could have it earlier, smoother and with less bad blood and less trust destroyed. Now the EU will be very careful when negotiating with the UK and make very sure there is as little room for "interpretations" as possible.

[@paologat]

@@mikefish8226the EU, contrary to UK, took back control of its borders and treats border security seriously. UK isn’t keeping its borders wide open out of generosity - it’s because UK can’t afford the cost of additional friction.

[@ChristiaanHW]

@@mikefish8226 the EU did what they were supposed to do. they started to treat the UK citizens as people from outside the EU, because those people voted to get out of the EU. the UK wasn't prepared and didn't have the means to start checks immediately, and so it took (a long) time for them to start the checks. you can't take the incompetence of the UK and blame the EU for it.

[@patrickchan2503]

@@ChristiaanHW the UK has a strong Defence but it can't defend itself then 😞

[@ab-ym3bf]

​@@mikefish8226laughable posturing

[@HieronymousCheese]

@@mikefish8226 Ha! You seem to be imagining that the UK is as strong as the EU, and perhaps that it's an equal negotiation. It isn't. It turns out that they didn't "need us more than we need them". Quite the opposite. Have you heard about all the truckers who refuse to come to Britain to deliver goods, because it's just too much trouble? It isn't the EU paying the price. It's ONLY Britain. Remember how Britain was going to make its own quality standard for goods? The "UKCA", was it? Millions were spent (wasted) and it ends up being completely irrelevant, whereas the EU's "CE" mark is recognised the world over. Yes, even ...and still... in Britain. And recently the former MI6 director was bemoaning the fact that Britain has lost so much influence in the world. The big Western players are the USA and the EU. Nobody mentions Britain anymore. Britain is irrelevant. And there are MANY MORE examples. Try to ignore them if you like. But facts are facts.

[@bikkiikun]

The EU doesn't just "treat agri-food products like they were from a third country". They UK IS a third country. Their products ARE from a third country. Thus the EU is just apply the rules and regulation to their intended use case: that of a Third Country. And let's not forget, the UK CHOSE to become a third country, well knowing that the rules and regulation related to third countries are rather harsh (something that the UK actively promoted and supported while it was a member of the EU).

[@ab-ym3bf]

"well knowing that". Not only is that aim doubtful given the level of knowledge in the UK, it is also moot. They are British, so expected those rules to not be applicable to them, they are "spesjul"

[@MrManBuzz]

Glad I wasn't the only one who picked up on the framing of that.

[@Andreas-pj6np]

It's funny because that was exactly their problem when they were in the EU too. They just can't understand that not everything revolves around them. No special UK treatment :(

[@bikkiikun]

@@ab-ym3bf : Maybe I should rephrase that: "...despite the knowledge about that being readily available..."

[@Mergen-v9j]

​@@Andreas-pj6nppeople in britain when the eu doesn't revolve aurond them lmao

[@getnohappy]

It depresses me that 'cordial relationship with our long time allies and the world's largest trade block next door' is seen by so many as radical

[@kumasenlac5504]

Long-time allies - really ? There's Portugal but that's about it...

[@BHPOfficial]

@@kumasenlac5504every eu country is allies by default, and treaty of accession was 1972 so 52 years not counting all of the individual countries like France that we’re Allie’s before that during the world wars

[@kumasenlac5504]

@@BHPOfficial We seem to have differing views on what constitutes 'a long time'.

[@richbob9155]

what exactly makes you think our relationship is not already cordial? It never stopped being so. Brexit just changed the deals but nobody on either side actually hates each other. The UK wanted more autonomy and didn't like being told what to do. They all understood and it was entirely justified. The UK economy has not suffered any more than any other EU state during covid and continues to stay just the same. People love to blow Brexit all out of proportion when we are still connected by countless other deals with Europe. It really didn't have that much of an impact on anyone. The same companies continued to trade and we still get all the same European products and export just the same amounts of goods as before. The only difference is the tariffs and profit margins.

[@smalltime0]

@@kumasenlac5504 technically Britain did invade once out of 'friendship'. The resultant dowry gave England Bombay. Which definitely had no lasting effects on English foreign policy...

[@martincurrie6243]

People acting like that what the UK wants matters. Doesn't matter if the polls change, the EU is not going to take us back in for a long time. It was too traumatic and they want to see a settled political will across the country.

[@e33d90]

How do you so easily pretend to speak for an entire continent and political structure that is in a constant state of change lol

[@squirrel287]

​@@e33d90 it's well known that Europeans are angry about UK having a special deal with the eu before and leaving even with this special deal.

[@e33d90]

@@squirrel287 did you do a survey on this? Also lets say that anger is present generally with European people, things like britain reentering the EU are decided by policy and not emotion

[@ixirion]

why? Is EU better without England? stronger? I am for accepting them back but they would have to be a member as all others, no exceptions, no special treatment etc.

[@userfile007]

True, we made our bed of nails so for a generation at least have to make the best of it.

[@WhiteManInAVan]

I swear these are pretty much the same thing that May, Johnson and Sunak all tried to do. End of the day, unless we want our standards to meet EU standards and pay for access to the single market, I'm not sure how we can actually reduce checks and balances...

[@editorrbr2107]

That’s part of the issue, and one of the impetus for Brexit. “Check and balance” is “be governed from Brussels.” National sovereignty still matters.

[@ab-ym3bf]

There is no "pay for membership of SM" option. You already have access to the SM via the TCA.

[@dvidclapperton]

It was a hostile relationship with the EU. It was deliberate tory policy to be nasty with the EU post referendum right up to and then after leaving the EU.

[@WhiteManInAVan]

@@dvidclapperton doesn't matter if it was hostile or not. Why would the EU agree to any of this for nothing in return? Btw, since we're both in the UK, can I now come into your house and watch tv whenever i want for free? 😂😂

[@richbob9155]

@@WhiteManInAVan sorry what do you mean nothing in return? Do the billions of pounds sent to Brussels not count? The EU owes the UK far more than the UK could ever owe them.

[@harrisonlichtenberg3162]

The fact that Russia was in favor of Brexit should have been enough for every brit to understand that it was a bad idea.

[@elseggs6504]

Considering how often foreigners think BoJo is pro-Russia I'd say they had more financial reasons than anything. Not that it matters, unlike what western Propaganda would have us believe, they cant brainwash entire nations with unthinkable ideas. Shit like Trump was merely amplified

[@ChristiaanHW]

so the UK wants: - less (maybe even none at all) checks on goods - having their diplomas being valid in the EU - working together on almost everything that impacts not just one country but also the countries around it (like security and energy) seem to me that they would like to form some kind of Union with other European countries to make trade, security, and rules more streamlined and more uniform. if only other countries in Europe had thought of that earlier, we could have had some kind of Union of Europe. but for real, if they want those first two things they need to make their production process of those goods follow European standards and for those diplomas to be accepted in Europe they need to be of the same standard of their European counterparts. so the UK has to make and keep those processes in line with European rules. and i thought the UK was done being a rule taker and wanted to make the rules (for the rest of the world).

[@eddiecalderone]

Who said the U.K. wants?

[@unformedeight]

3:41 - very strange wording, uk made itself a third country Ofcourse EU has treated stuff from there as if they were from a third country

[@BHPOfficial]

Third because there is an inessential boarded between Northern Ireland and Ireland that is purely administrative, so before it gets to the border ok mainland it’s been through 2 checks as opposed to one like it was before

[@absentmindedshirokuma8539]

​@@BHPOfficial there is no border in ireland island. That's the whole point of Good Friday Agreement which UK themselves signed. 3rd country simply mean country Without trade deal, which literally what boris jhonson asked for.

[@mikester4896]

It's not the same as third-world country, third country just means a country that is not in the EU and doesn't also have the right to free movement in the EU.

[@Ryan_Alwi]

What’s with all the snobby EU comments claiming the UK should be treated as a 3rd country? We are not the same as India or Mexico…Iceland for instance is not in EU but has normalized trade relations, why can’t we be treated like them? EU wouldn’t even exist in its current form without the UK and we have robust quality standards for our goods yet all you guys seem to just want us to suffer and act like every Brit supported Leave when the next generation of young people couldn’t even vote. Both UK and EU citizens would benefit from better trade relations, why make fun of us for our desire for such?

[@unformedeight]

@@Ryan_Alwi Iceland is part of the EEA, being in the EEA was a red line to the UK

[@garyarnold3141]

It's not so much that the EU doesn't want us but we're considered politically unsettled or unstable. If labour tried to rejoin the EU the tories would immediately reverse it when they return to power. As long as the tory party continues with Brexit as a policy, nothing will happen.

[@ab-ym3bf]

It's a lot of things. The EU is not eager for the UK to join anytime soon, not just for reasons of national instability in the UK but also because the UK has clearly not changed its attitude and only wants the economical advantages of the EU. The UK is also not even capable of clearing the first hurdle, fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria.

[@joebloggs4191]

The UK would be stupid to rejoin the EU!

[@ab-ym3bf]

@@joebloggs4191 that would mean they apply today.

[@joebloggs4191]

@@ab-ym3bf Er no it does not! It does mean however we have shit politicians who can do nougt! I don't see things being much better with this Keir bloke either. Historically Labour only makes things worse.

[@ab-ym3bf]

@@joebloggs4191 woosh

[@EclipsePheniox]

I hope that “UK won’t join the EU in my lifetime" is merely a passing comment and not a promise or observation

[@CountScarlioni]

I don't know how long Starmer thinks he has left to live. 20 years perhaps? I don't think that's an unreasonable figure for rejoining to be honest. However there are other orbits we can pass into before rejoining. Becoming an associate state like Norway or Switzerland could be reached much sooner.

[@RealMash]

@@CountScarlioni Not on the table, the EU said so, and Norway doesn't want you in his club. Impossible, no Unicorn for you.

[@kagenlim5271]

​@@RealMashUK was still a founding member my guy

[@anneeq008]

It's Starver , he's just going with the wind

[@Anri6547]

@@kagenlim5271 founding member of what? Not the eu clearly!! Germany and France were founding members and France blocked the uk 2 times from joining… and Charles de Gaulle was right to do so…

[@viktorvtk]

I remember this video from anticipating on it in a discussion with my economics teacher back in 2014. As it turns out, he appears to have been right. The Brits aren't back in the EU within 10 years. 15 years will be more likely.

[@retrolinkx]

Was his name Cummisky by any chance? I had a similar conversation around that time with him and he said the same thing.

[@rayn1545]

Sorry to say but it’s gonna be longer than 15 years maybe like 30-40 even that’s unrealistic.

[@abelnicolaebaritone]

@@rayn1545 no EU leader with full mental capabilites would let the UK back in. Not in 100 years.

[@adambattersby8934]

viktorvtk We're never going back into the EU. The EU isn't even going to be around for much longer. This is the 21st Century and Britain and the rest of the world has moved on from protectionist anti-democratic economically sclerotic superstates. It's time you Remainers woke up and smell the coffee.

[@EllieD.Violet]

More likely 50 or never. The UK barely meets 50% of the accession criteria. And those memberstates that profit from Brexit would and will veto the UK/rumpUK.

[@ganados0]

Neither Labour nor the Tories wanted it despite their posturing, that's been the problem. They claimed to be on the side of the people, they pushed it too far and have dug themselves into a hole.

[@Anthony-xd1lj]

they did not have a say it was down to us the british people and 17.3 million strong in the poorest areas wanted out of the EU since blair opened the borders and a allowed them official figures show that the number of EU migrants who came to Britain rose from just 15,000 in 2003 to 87,000 the following year. That figure increased to 104,000 in 2006 and 127,000 in 2007. and blair said "i dont regret opening the borders to the EU" blair thought the EU would open its border at the sametime and this did not happen and they all came into the UK all he wanted was to be EU president until gordon brown blocked him with a secret meeting with the big 3, france, germany and italy

[@panher]

@@Anthony-xd1lj Those people are also the one targeted by campaigns by the likes of Farage. His fearmongering was crucial in getting Brexit through.

[@leehenry5764]

​@@panherGot nothing to do with Farage. Britain doesn't need telling what to do by EU

[@Andreas-pj6np]

Yes and the EU doesn't need the UK Kindergarten. Please don't ever rejoin the EU, you havr proven more than enough that the UK is not a reliable partner.

[@vadwvea7153]

@@Anthony-xd1lj They could have just not initiated a referendum, there was no point doing it

[@rachidamrani6972]

Eu told UK no freedom of movement: no movement for renegotiation.

[@frankoneill5675]

The EU wouldn't say anything like that. The four freedoms are indivisible, and not available to third countries

[@stuartbudd5026]

@@frankoneill5675 Yes they did and yes they would. Mobility and citizens rights are core european values.

[@chinogambino9375]

@@stuartbudd5026 Guy Verhofstadt has said if there were any UK negoiation to rejoin then the EU could fudge an opt out like the Pound or Shengen; to them it'd just be a return to the pre-2016 status quo. Whether this would happen is another thing but they are not as uncompromising as it appears.

[@michaelmayo3127]

It's no going to happen. Starmer has pleged to make brexit work!! And why would the EU want to help the UK out of the hole,that the Brits havde dug for themselves?

[@quackcement]

@@michaelmayo3127 easiest route is to sign trade deal with USA, once biden's out

[@JoshMathewsofficial]

I wasn’t allowed to vote as I was 16 at the time yet I’ve lived with the consequences of Brexit. I want my freedom of moment back.

[@plonman1]

Get a different passport if you have parents or grandparents from an EU country

[@vexedlex8230]

Yeah, a lot of European countries are pretty liberal with granting citizenship if you have ancestry there from the last 2 generations and the UK allows dual citizenship. A single Irish or Northern Irish grandparent is enough to get an Irish passport, for example.

[@quackcement]

you can go to Australia, speaking the same language will make things a hella of a lot easier ,stricter visa restrictions apply after the age of 35 btw

[@InfiniteWasp360]

1:44 you did Rishi dirty LOL

[@micahqgecko]

He is sort of a non entity

[@keithspencer6153]

Brexit didn’t even shift any dials for most people, in fact most people hardly noticed.

[@maxharbig1167]

Fixing Brexit is an oxymoron. Exit means exit means out. The EU cannot afford to risk losing credibility by treating the UK more favourably than any other third country. This does not mean there cannot be agreements of various types but they must, in no way, give the impression of special treatment, or be agreements of a type that cannot also be reached with any other third country that has the appropriate attributes and requirements for the specific agreement involved.

[@StormaLorda]

The UK is a G7 country, member of NATO, longtime member of the EU and a large economy, who would the EU lose credibility towards? Turkey? lol.

[@Exodius3]

@@StormaLordaOther nations, who would then ditch EU and just search closer ties after

[@derpidius6306]

​@StormaLorda Y'all left dude and in a dramatic fashion too, a re-entry will require real commitment. As an American it'd be akin to if we pulled out of NATO for some reason, NATO doesn't fall apart without us, then try to rejoin later and expect the same powers we had before

[@ab-ym3bf]

​@@StormaLordachest beating self importance. That is all your post is. Nothing in it shows you understand the reality of the situation of what was said.

[@ulizez89]

​@@StormaLordathe other EU members. The EU must show what happens when you decide to leave and how painful it is. It's madness to think the EU will give in into all of the UK demands when they have nothing to gain and everything to lose.

[@shadeblackwolf1508]

"treated as if coming from a third country" that is exactly brexit. That is the description of leaving the eu

[@PhthaloJohnson]

This is definitely something and at this point I am willing to take anything. I think most people have finally come to the realization that Brexit was a disaster are the toxic rhetoric of "Brexit means Brexit" and derivatives are becoming less popular so we can actually move forward with relationships between the UK and EU.

[@CountScarlioni]

I _really_ wish this was the case, but I sadly still have (older) family members who are dyed in the wool Brexit cheerleaders. Although they'll begrudgingly acknowledge it didn't go as well as it should, they will not have it that it was anything other than Britain's glorious strike for freedom. Yes, they're idiots. Unfortunately there's still millions like them out there and parties are still scared of them. In 5 years time though, it could finally be a different story.

[@ecohipster7724]

I agree the percentage of people who want to rejoin against the toxic Brexiteers is a super majority to reapply for EU membership

[@Imnotagroyperyoutube]

@@ecohipster7724 Cry about it remoaner, we'll never be in the EU again.

[@abelnicolaebaritone]

I wish it were true... but I doubt it.

[@JoJo-xb7do]

Brexit caused a lot of money and time for the EU so I doubt they will want to go through the process or us joining anytime soon. It annoys me when hardline brexiteers don't want any EU influence but the EU will not accept any products that doesn't match their standards just like all non EU countries. They all loose out to the second largest economy in the world.

[@richbob9155]

The second largest economy is China after the USA. Then it's Japan. Any country can happily survive and prosper without any EU trade.

[@cr4yv3n]

@@richbob9155 which britain is not...

[@lydiefleurent6809]

​@@richbob9155Where are the promised trade deals ? USA not on the table , Canadian one failed and so on

[@mercerwing1458]

Where on Earth did you get the information that Britain is the seconds largest economy in the world? It by FAR isn't.

[@JoJo-xb7do]

@@mercerwing1458 I meant EU is the second largest economy. Is that all you can comment on? Nothing else resonates... this is problem. Everyone's a very narrow focus and won't accept any other ideas that are based on hard facts.

[@manhoosnick]

I remember my British mates posting 'You will always be welcome to the UK my dear EU friends'... lolll as if we were the ones going to go hungry without UK 😂

[@cr4yv3n]

Nothing will repair UK-EU relationship. We have seen the true face of the UK during brexit. And eastern Europe will NEVER forget how they called us cockroaches.

[@popelgruner595]

The UK chose to be a third country to the EU. We accepted this. Now deal with the consequences.

[@JamesRamboPearce]

Sadly - not all of the UK did

[@thereeceforbes]

How can we be a 3rd country we were the riches in eu

[@anna-flora999]

​@@thereeceforbes you're confusing third world country with third country. The USA, for example, is also a third country

[@bb5979]

Absolutely. If we can tough it out and not re-join the benefits can be tenfold if the government makes logical choices.

[@popelgruner595]

@@thereeceforbes 🤣 You're funny. Germany made up for everything you refused to pay but to leech off the benefits in the EU back when you were a member.

[@PrinceWalacra]

If the UK wants better access to the EU, what is in for the EU ? It’s just giving and taking and if there are no advantages for the EU, the UK might be disappointed. The UK had their lucrative “opt-outs” but there are no “opt-ins” this time.

[@JessieJames_Music]

No clue where I saw this, but I remember another thing that Labour was keen on at some point was making it easier for Touring/Travelling artists to go to the EU via a touring visa. Brexit practically destroyed that part of the Industry and artists make barely any money going there, when it used to be a source of really good income. Really hope that this is addressed at some point.

[@abelnicolaebaritone]

Yup, I remember listening to Ian McKellen talking about it.

[@el2i-y8z]

The UK is way too unstable for cooperation. They need to suffer full consequences of Brexit. Let them be a lesson.

[@hans-heinerkleinmanns1955]

British Arrogance! are you fond of giving up gibraltar? Spain is now in the EU and you are out!

[@pwood6532]

The people in gibraltar held a referendum..they voted 98% to stay British.

[@hans-heinerkleinmanns1955]

@@pwood6532 but stay there and suck fore you voted for. a hard brexit . if you dont understand: UK is a Third Country like, lets say Ruanda. Means: Gibraltar is like Ruanda! Understood?

[@stevenzeilinga5324]

But will EU be in favour of a closer relationship to the UK? If the UK flip flops every 4 years. They might not even be worth the effort.

[@FuzzyRiy]

I think the EU have enough of their own shit going on right now to care. EU isn't in a good state right now.

[@CountScarlioni]

That's one of the reasons the Labour offerings are so thin. They're what the new government can get by the europhobic press and organisations without them screaming like banshees, and they're what is neither controversial or troublesome to the EU. But it's a small step forward after a whole stampede backwards, and new relationships must start with small steps.

[@XMysticHerox]

Various EU officials and governments have indidcated they'd welcome the UK back. Just not with all the special benefits it had before. But the issue here is the british public. They'd never accept that.

[@robtyman4281]

​​@@FuzzyRiy ...but the fact remains that it's still in better shape than the UK is. That is the reality. The UK is in a huge mess - a bigger mess than any of us actually realise. Because the Tories have hidden stuff from us....stuff that we need to know, and will do over the next five years and more. It's going to take alot longer than five, or even ten years to turn the UK around. The Tories 14 years of 'wrecking ball' politics will take double this amount of time to fix properly. So essentially, almost 30 years. Hopefully the UK will be in much better shape, come 2054. We can but hope. That's assuming the UK as we know it, will still exist in 30 years time.

[@frankoneill5675]

@@XMysticHerox The UK is free to apply, everybody knows the conditions, as M. Barnier said.

[@TheMasterTeddy]

As a German, I am annoyed by Britain. They can either stay out or rejoin the EU. There are no other alternatives. And we don’t need a security deal. We are all still members of NATO.

[@pevebe]

Stay out thanks. Nobody outside of lefty circles is thinking about rejoining, stay in your lane guvna

[@diverguy3556]

​@@pevebegammon detected.

[@MikeTheBike58]

Gladly stay out thanks.

[@pevebe]

@@diverguy3556 Gammon pride

[@neezduts69420]

​@pevebe wish we could deport you for one EU citizen

[@frankoneill5675]

Even if the claim that some EU countries want to renegotiate the deal is true, and I'm not sure it is, it would be because they want better terms for themselves, not to do the UK favours. Renegotiating the deal might leave the UK with a worse one

[@Robbiewa-bg4lu]

Very true.

[@declanmurphy3093]

What makes "we want to rejoin the EU" British people think that people in EU countries would want them back? In 30-40 years time maybe, but for now, it is case of good riddance. Northern Ireland is effectively part of the EU single market, and anyone born in NI is automatically eligible for a European passport.

[@fateenshareef8716]

Thank you for bringing back the desk

[@GreenIsTheWayForward]

I'm a well-educated, left-leaning, and pro-EU Dutchman. Most people I know - including myself - don't think we should let the UK back in. You can't walk out on an important agreement with your friends and allies when you think it suits you, only to come back when it turned out it actually didn't suit you. It's called 'opportunism' and 'realpolitik' and is heavily frowned upon over here. Not just because it was a low move to leave the EU for some Empire feelings and fishing rights, but also because it means the UK could leave again whenever they think it suits them. We have more important things to do than deal with a nation that back-stabbed their friends and allies, and has cost enormous amounts of time and energy and money. The UK has shown that they don't know how to be a trustworthy friend and ally. But Brexit could only happen because a LOT of old British people just voted with their emotions and didn't give a f**k about the next generations, and younger age groups were more in favor of remaining but at the same time had a MUCH lower turnout percentage. That's shitty for all the younger people in the UK, that those old people showed up in droves and were with enough to get an overall tiny majority (51,9%) and decided what their future would look like. But really, if the UK had immediately erupted in anti-brexit riots and had demanded the same referendum be done again, none of this would have happened and 'remain' would have clearly won. It shows that not enough people cared. Your loss, UK.

[@samhartford8677]

I could not agree more. The UK's problem was that half of remainers were also euro-skeptics. Greetings from Finland.

[@gregjones-x8c]

I voted out because of the Maastricht scam 1992....when ''free trade'' morphed into the EU - political and federal union. Not what we endorsed back in 1975.

[@toomuchstupididty6311]

@@gregjones-x8c That is a big fat LIE. All was clearly enounced by the treaty of Rome even before your 1975 referundum. The fact that you were too intellectually lazy to even try to understand that is not the EU's fault.

[@saznoozalot]

I honestly despise the people who voted for Brexit, but we're all being tarnished with the same brush. Also, I can't even fucking leave now that I've had my freedom of movement taken away by people I'm forced to live around. I never saw a world where I needed to think of a "green card" marriage

[@gregjones-x8c]

@@saznoozalot ''DESPISE?'' Heavens above, that's a very strong term to use....and totally unjustified. All the ''lies'' go back to Ted Heath who deviously and fraudulently duped us into a free trade ''common market''...when the EEC scam was a trojan horse into a political and federal supra-state called the EU. I am so glad we left. My joy knows no bounds. Goodbye forever to the rotten and corrupt Brussels dictatorship and their parasitic elites.

[@Minimmalmythicist]

Honestly, I think the obsession with migration has got silly everywhere. We abolished free movement with the EU and it didn´t improve anything, it didn´t improve working class wages much (except lorry drivers for a brief period), all it´s done is given people yet more red tape.

[@abelnicolaebaritone]

I worked in logistics for a long time and I can assure you every driver that I've spoken to was devastated about the changes Brexit brought. If the life of a driver wasn't hard enough, now it has definitely reached a new low.

[@theflyinggauntlet]

Starmer can't fix brexit, becauuse brexit means we are out of the single market and customs union - end of. The only way to fix broken Britain would be to rejoin the EU. The problem is this is that all 27 countries would have to unanimously vote to accept Britain back. I am afraid, I don't think the vote will be unanimous as we have been nothing but troublemakers and no doubt the European parliament don't want a bunch of reform politicians back in who milk the sytem, outwardly complain, but don't actually do the work they are paid for. I would be happy to vote for the euro and for full memebership of the eu, including Shengen.

[@georgiewalker5826]

EEA or be-spoke deal where we accept 4 pillars, pay in the budget and EU jurisdiction

[@Exodius3]

I would also want you back, but without your extra rule on every single agreement. If you guys wait long enough, the politicians will be ready

[@georgiewalker5826]

@@Exodius3 Extra rule?

[@cainneachdaugherty7172]

Or you could just go back to Theresa May's withdrawal agreement.

[@Exodius3]

@@georgiewalker5826 The UK always had extra rules for their country attached to some rules in the EU

[@Red0543]

As someone from the EU I say this: Britain has made their bed. I say we let them sleep in it and see how they like it.

[@soba1543]

we are currently and we are fucking hating it

[@MiningdragonLP]

Him saying they wont rejoin in his lifetime is just beeing realistic

[@tulisotilas]

I have idea why "TLDR" news are longer than actual news on tv.

[@bomoose]

why?

[@kaitek666]

tell us then

[@bzuidgeest]

The UK is a third country, deal with it. You wanted out. Deal with it. We should not accommodate you. The advantages are for people that know how to work together.

[@MikeTheBike58]

That's why the UK joined CPTTP

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@@MikeTheBike58 Don't remember Ukraine being a CPTTP member we are on a island not in Europe but we tend to think we are

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@user-cs5ox4og2p £3 billion a year and they said the EU was a threat to us C'mon man it's to protect themselves from things like PPE scandals and all the sleaze they do

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@user-cs5ox4og2p £38.000 a year income for British to have a partner apply for a visa to visit. Whilst immigrants come with visas paid with whole families Somali's handed free visas Africans we can all see through this. Polish unemployment came to the UK for jobs mass unemployment for the British zero hour contracts yet the government couldn't let the EU decide on the price of gas all little things they needed Brexit for.

[@bzuidgeest]

@@MikeTheBike58 you mean that geographically far more distant group that sends cheap food to the UK undercutting your own farmers beef and vegetables? Those countries you basically export nothing to in comparison to your direct neighbor the EU? Yeah that really was a great move(sarcasm). What a joke you are making. Good luck with that.

[@BojanBojovic]

Imagine someone suggesting that making new borders will solve the problems and imagine people believe it.

[@eddiecalderone]

Look at Yugoslavia

[@cr4yv3n]

Nigel FartRage

[@thisismetoday]

My last letter from the UK to Germany took three weeks! THREE WEEKS!

[@EuroUser1]

Under the North-Atlantic Treaty, the UK is already obliged to defend most EU countries in case of aggression. So, in order for a new security agreement to be appealing to Europe, it would need to go much further than NATO, which is probably not what most UK citizens desire.

[@Jammyc]

In before the brexit lot come out and say "WE NO WANT THIS, OUT MEANS OUT"

[@FuzzyRiy]

You do realise the EU is in a shit state right now? but of course, you knew that right.

[@gravel7614]

​@@FuzzyRiythey might be doing bad but trade with all the countries close to us is nothing but great for the UK.

[@AtakenSmith]

@@FuzzyRiy The UK economy in the previous years performed significantly worse than those countries comparable to them. And even compared to itself it's performing worse. You can't compare the EU as a whole to the UK anyway, cause the EU has a bunch of countries with different leadership and ideas. Some countries actually performing quite well in the EU while others suffering more. For example you would not want to compare Hungary to the UK... That would be silly... But even Germany which performing quite bad as well as far as I know. Performing better than the UK, by not an insignificant margin.

[@HW-sw5gb]

@@FuzzyRiy It’s stupid to not work with the world’s 2nd largest economy right next to you. It’s like Canada ignoring the USA

[@eddiecalderone]

@@MEHOLE Oh cheaper wine and chorizo is what makes a better life? We in the U.K. have been a country with financial independence for a few centuries, although we had a few hiccups, like every one else. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t care about paying more for imported wine, food or anything else, my least concern is queuing up at airports, although I have two other passports, eu passports, along with my U.K. passport, I always join the queue with the British fellow citizens. Since I voted for Brexit, it seems fair enough…

[@sidneypedroso3415]

In another word, cherry picking once again, why cant uk move on and leave EU alone

[@jarlath9414]

I'm not sure we have the luxury of being able to tbh

[@cr4yv3n]

Funny how they think what they WANT matters to us? :D

[@leodouskyron5671]

🇺🇸 Honestly I don’t think the EU wants the UK back until they are certain that Nigel is gone and you lot have grown up - because they would not want Brexit part II.

[@ryandanngetich2524]

Majority of us dont want to rejoin, it already happened so we are trying to work with what we have

[@ryandanngetich2524]

You lot are the ones needing to grow up

[@David_Baxendale]

When the brexit campaign said they wanted our country back, they meant back in the late 70s/early 80s. That is what has happened economically and it will now start to happen politically. We will move to our old position in the middle of europe and the USA. Given the current world situation, this is a good thing.

[@Swtcher-in3yc]

The question is what can you guys offer for 27 states that were pissed of for 5 almost 5 years to deal with it this again…

[@ccrky]

Haven't started the video yet, but one of my ideas that will be hard to change is that the UK should stay out of the EU, having them in the Union will only slow things down for us.

[@ubersense]

Zero interest from the European side to make changes to TCA, there are just no benefits. Sectorial agreements are not welcome, so the UK either rejoins the Common Market or stays out of it. As for the Security arrangements, we have NATO. Reality is, if any party needs to move, it's the UK. The EU has no interest and obligation to make a move.

[@catmonarchist8920]

So strategic autonomy was just noise and you're happy to leave European security in the hands of Trump's America ('NATO')

[@ChaosLordPug]

If anyone says brexit is good for the uk needs to look deeper I voted leave and I regret it 100% I would rejoin the eu in a heart beat

[@DanDaFreakinMan]

I'm an outsider here and is a bit confused on the subject. Why did you guys leave the EU to begin with?

[@Sir_Bucket]

​@@DanDaFreakinManthe good old liberal talk points: "EU cost to much money to be in", state sovereignty, better free market, etc... Things that the right love to complain about without thinking of the EU benefits

[@XMysticHerox]

@@DanDaFreakinMan Decades of conservatives blaming all their bs on the EU combined with chauvinism.

[@joshuaswart8211]

@@DanDaFreakinManThere was a right-wing distaste for the EU for decades, mostly represented by UKIP (the United Kingdom Independence Party). Eventually, UKIP did well enough in elections to cut into the vote of the Conservatives Party (even if they didn’t win many seats). In an attempt to undercut UKIP, Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron called a referendum on leaving the EU. The idea was that the electorate would resoundingly reject leaving, and the pro-EU faction of the Conservatives could use that to shut up UKIP and the anti-EU faction in the Conservatives. This didn’t happen. The Conservatives split even more on the EU, and then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, capitalised on the referendum by campaigning to leave. The campaign to leave was much stronger than Cameron anticipated, because his party was much more split than he realised, and right-wing politicians had been using the EU as a scapegoat for UK failings for ages. Because the front bench of each major party campaigned for remaining, the leave campaign was able to cast themselves as anti-establishment. There wasn’t really a single vision for leaving the EU. It was the result of many people casting a vote in anger to leave an organisation they didn’t understand much about.

[@SunburntHands]

​@DanDaFreakinMan it's more complicated than just this, but essentially it was because the tories thought they could stop UKIP from cannibalising their vote share by holding a referendum on EU membership that thought they would easily be decided in favour of remaining, and would delegitimise the single-issue euro skeptics. Unfortunately, when you give a populace already demoralised by years of austerity and financial collapse a big red button that says "Do not press because things might change", they will press it. A big factor was also old people who still read newspapers, almost all of which had spent the preceding 30 years telling voters lies about barmy Brussels bureaucrats banning bent bananas.

[@2007Nissi]

I would like to see the UK return to the Erasmus+ program. I believe this would support the relationship between the UK and the EU. Do you think we will ever return to the Erasmus program soon?

[@LukeSolecki]

1:22 did you say “Boarish Johnson” ? That’s certainly what I call him lol

[@handle_unknown]

The Swedish minister of defence Peter Hultqvist said during a social demicratic convention something along the lines of "never in my lifetime will I apply for Nato membership for Sweden". To be fair, your Labourparty seems more willing to stick to their political views and ideaology than our party, but Hultqvist nonetheless applied for Nato membership when that was deemed necessary for our realm.

[@RealMash]

I do not see Russia preparing to invade the UK, so they can stay out ;-) Besides Finland and Sweden were already integrated with NATO militaries, and the Russian invasion in Ukraine was thought by Russia to discourage more countries to apply for NATO membership. As well thought out as Brexit. Same ind of success.

[@MechanicaMenace]

​​​​@@RealMashpro Brexit campaigning also had the smell of Russia on it tbh. Methinks, like their interference in a lot of elections especially in Europe and NA, Brexit may have been a massive success for Putin. It's just that beyond some politicians bitching it hasn't really changed anything so didn't help him like he expected it to. Also yeah, Starmer won't at all try to rejoin the EU. Labour were always against the EU to begin with. They only pretend to have been pro remain because the Tories got behind the leave campaign. Hence the less than lackluster remain campaign leading to the referendum.

[@radman8321]

@@MechanicaMenace Not true. Most Labour supporters are pro EU, as are most Labour MPs. Political reality sunk in in 2019 when Boris Johnson won his big election victory. The public were still split on Brexit, but a substantial majority thought that it had to be delivered for the sake of democracy. Now that it has been delivered, time will allow for positions to change and for a political debate to be had without "offending democracy". There is already a decent majority of the public who accept that Brexit was a mistake, and a smaller majority in favour of rejoining. Time will only increase the numbers in both camps. Kier Starmer is 61, his lifetime may be about 20 years. By that time the baby boomer generation will have moved on and the British public will be a different political animal.

[@MechanicaMenace]

@@radman8321 yes a lot of current -Labour supporters- anti Tory voters are pro EU. But traditionally Labour were always the anti EU party and the party only pretends to want it to win those votes. But the MPs won't do anything about it because Labour never wanted the EU, they didn't even want the EEC, they were always ideologically opposed and there are a not small amount of Labour voters who didn't and don't want it and they don't want to lose too many of their votes. They're going to promise "closer relations" to have their cake in the form of pro EU votes then sabotage any progress by "being unable to find common ground on a good deal for the UK" to eat it too in the form of their actual desires and the votes of their traditional anti EU base. Just look at how the "Red Wall" constituencies voted in the Brexit referendum. Most safe Labour seats voted to go, most of the remain seats were in safe Tory constituencies.

[@dutchdykefinger]

@@MechanicaMenace what is not helping for your little "everything i don't like is russian collusion" argument is the fact that the thing in NA you're alluding to was PROVEN TO BE a fucking hoax piss off with the "muh russia" to everything you don't understnad already

[@KraKra-Ah]

As a Dutch it feels the UK wants all the positive things of the EU but not the negative. I rather wish Britain was more sure of themselves and join the EU and make policy together. The only ones that really profit from the Brexit is the Rich who want stay in power.. I don't think the UK will join the EU anytime soon since the EU is not a YOYO...

[@ab-ym3bf]

​​​@martint8530who claims a free trade arrangement is a bad thing? It is simply not the conscious choice the members of the EU have made when they signed up for it, knowing it was more than just a trade deal. "the rest of the stuff" is mostly to do with rules and regulations concerning the common market. Most, not all. The EU is not able to perform a power grab, since all its members are sovereign and nothing the EU does can be done without consent of the members. This constant display of British ignorance is getting irritating.

[@ab-ym3bf]

@martint8530 there is literally not one sentence in your reply that shows you have understood a word of what was said. Go find someone who can explain things to you, by now I lack the patience or interest to do so with a (wilfully) ignorant brit. Have a good day

[@RedXlV]

@martint8530 Your claim that nobody wants political integration of Europe is simply a lie. It's just that right-wing authoritarians don't want it, because they don't like the existence of civil rights guarantees.

[@drd6416]

I can't move to Belgium to live with my gf..... understandably she doesnt want to live here.....😢 Belgium is lovely as is Netherlands

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

I had to break up with my partner in another European country and that was just after covid because the travel restrictions and Brexit i knew what was going to happen the cost of visa's and the reason Brexit was forced on us the now the £38.000 a year income before you can apply to bring your partner to visit. I feel your pain but i knew a relationship i had for 3 years was doomed by politicians.

[@mrgalaxy396]

Aren't visas still a thing? It's not like they banned you from entry into the union.

[@unduloid]

Belgium is a smoldering wasteland compared to The Netherlands.

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@@mrgalaxy396 You have never lived abroad have you you obviously don't know alot on the subject of a temporary visa to a full visa or a work visa. So your comment was pointless

[@luciacorreia6196]

@@theprogrammerrolandmc3039 Exactly! And some countries in the EU make it extra difficult to access work visas as well. My fiance is a British citizen, but I am Portuguese. I can move freely to another EU country and work. Suppose I want to leave the UK: depending on the EU country, he might never get a work visa, because some countries require companies to prove they cannot hire another EU citizen for whatever position they are advertising. And a spouse visa is not a guarantee that the person will be allowed to work as well. So, yeah, British citizens are certainly not banned from entering the EU space, but they surely are being treated like they are now treating EU citizens.

[@pvught390]

Four years after Brexit, the British are still waiting for the benefits.

[@boukek]

These things will only come up the calendar if it’s massively beneficial for the EU, And not the other way around. I don’t think most in the UK realize how small the UK is compared to the EU in most areas. The EU like US and China are worldpowers in most areas. While UK is just a country. That is not so appealing for the EU.

[@getnohappy]

When talking about the EU, remember the Lib Dems, SNP, Greens and PC are all pro EU. So when discussing Starmer's political space re: vote share, that a majority voters are pro EU is relevant

[@ab-ym3bf]

"pro EU". Until you say €, Schengen, no opt outs, ever closer union.

[@Thelads517]

@@ab-ym3bftbf Schegen wouldn’t be forced upon the UK other than that yeah I agree , we could do the Sweden and just not implement the euro

[@ab-ym3bf]

@@Thelads517 no, you coulldn´t. € is a hard requirement for new members, not the wishy washy regulations of the past

[@Thelads517]

@@ab-ym3bf fair enough i know all the laws are a hard requirement except Schengen , albeit that’s a UK only aspect cause of the CTA , The Euro has it benefits and flaws

[@wengelder9256]

@@ab-ym3bf that’s the letter of the law .sweden could have been ready long time ago . But they play around with the criteria a bit and the eu will not force them . Practically u can get away with not embracing the euro, despite legally being required to join .

[@hadiebah]

Is like the other EU politicians who talked about leaving the union learnt from Uk 🇬🇧 now no politician talking about leaving anymore, is always good to learn from someone mistake

[@eddiecalderone]

@@hadiebah It’s very simple, no other country would benefit from leaving the eu. The U.K. is a different story. Okay, any eu country that has the euro as its currency would be suicidal to even consider leaving the eu, because the economic repercussions. Now the other countries. Sweden, Denmark, Romania, Poland and Bulgaria… any of them has the same political leverage on the financial markets or in foreign policy like the U.K.? Poland together with Hungary receive the highest financial support from the eu budget. Why would they want to leave?

[@InternationalKarl]

BREXIT the biggest blunder any trading nation has ever done

[@typemasters2871]

Yep, a country dependant on trade going “I don’t want to trade” Like someone going on hunger strike because they believe that they don’t need food

[@MikeTheBike58]

Have you seen the state of the EU lately?,take of those rose tinted glasses.

[@InternationalKarl]

@@MikeTheBike58 LMAOOO take the BS out of your eyes....I swear people think that UTOPIA exist somewhere. There is NEVER a time in HUMAN HISTORY where there isn[t some type of issue going on. Being out of the EU hs caused nothing but problems. I have yet to walk into someone who can say ONE THING good about BREXIT. I was literally in a flower shop last week and someone said because of BREXIT.....I hear this more times than i can count

[@Exodius3]

@@MikeTheBike58What is so bad about the EU? Some economies are struggling, but thats because of energy crisis and the war itself, EU has no saying in this

[@unduloid]

@@MikeTheBike58 The EU is doing just fine. Some countries are struggling because of an energy crisis caused by a war takes currently taking place in in Europe, but they will be fine _because_ they are in the EU. The UK, on the other hand, completely screwed itself over. What a joke.

[@Eyyoh755]

No more: "We want our money back" nonsense. As a German I appreciate the English had left the club.😊

[@TheTheRAMSTAR]

Having a recognition of qualifications would be huge for the aviation industry a lot of my peers who are just getting into the industry are now only allowed to work on a G registered aircraft compared to the older generation who get to keep their Easa licenses. Limiting the prospect for work. This with exponential increasing cost of training is making it a real worry for the future of aviation in the uk. Would not be surprised if it vast majority of services becomes outsourced to foreign businesses.

[@BaldmanB]

Fix your camera ISO, shutter or white balance to compensate for your teleprompter polarised glass.

[@sampine7056]

A closer relationship be extremely necessary if trump gets in and is wary of working with us, especially regarding his VPs comments

[@anonymousperson26223]

​​@martint8530what brighter future this country has been crumbling since ages

[@sampine7056]

@martint8530 Uk friendly yes, but now we are centre-left aligned. Trump is out for himself not the good of the UK or the US in fact, so we need to avoid that to an extent. It worked with boris johnson because of the individual

[@quackcement]

@@sampine7056 personalities should not clash with economic good, starma recently visited the US to express how pro USA he is its would be foolish to not at least sign a services trade deal with the USA, once trump is in

[@sampine7056]

@@quackcement you’re absolutely right but this is trump we’re dealing with here, his VP called Labour’s uk overrun by islamists just a few days ago. You’ve also got disagreements and misalignment over things like Ukraine and economic policy

[@SaintGerbilUK]

@@quackcement I'm guessing that might be limited to a "Love actually" sequel.

[@polyphonics557]

Right.....honest question.......in the build up to the Referendum "Remain" couldn't quantify what it was that we received for our Net contribution of £10 billion per year to the EU. WE have been out of the EU for 4.5 years now and a big chunk of that 4.5 years was dominated by Covid and rubbish politics. I am not aware of anything I currently cannot buy that I used to be able to buy before Brexit. I have been on holiday twice to EU countries since Brexit and neither time was I stripped searched or even questioned about my luggage. Can somebody please explain why they think we need to be back in the EU as some comments I see on pro-EU posts have some amazingly self-centred reasons for why membership is worth £10 billion a year. DO NOT talk about farming for the simple reason that even when we were in the EU the UK farmers weren't happy and in recent times there has been a lot of farmer protests inside the EU.

[@joebloggs4191]

Sadly most people especially the younger generation are blinkered!

[@RonnieOP]

"Since Brexit, the EU has treated agrifood-exports like they were coming from a third country" Maybe because they are. The UK is now a third country

[@rpals5412]

I really miss the times where I could buy stuff from online UK shops and it would just show up a week later normal shipping fee no BS. since Brexist, I have bought 1 item from the UK and it was a nightmare, ended up paying 3 times the item price in import BS taxes and fees. And I will never again buy anything under these import conditions.... same with US webshops, a realy pity.....! So now I buy everything from China, low to free shipping, and these days the delivery time is not even thaaaat bad. a week to 10 days. Would love to put my money into UK and US instead....

[@R4Y7]

Better trade agreements using defence as leverage could be interesting

[@arctic_haze]

This hope does not sound realistic to me. After all Britain is still in NATO.

[@icephoenix5466]

With what leverage?😂

[@RealMash]

@@icephoenix5466 Their unicorn army, as usual. Extortion worked so well last time, you are out of the EU by now. Only that t failed the last time, doesn't mean....well, Blackadder anyone?

[@kagenlim5271]

​@@RealMashtf you are rambling about

[@XMysticHerox]

The EU military currently outnumbers the Russian one significantly both in soldiers and vehicles. The idea the UK has any sort of leverage here is pretty absurd. Unless they hold the EU hostage over supporting Ukraine or something absurd like that.

[@FalconsEye58094]

Brexit was a self inflicted gunshot wound

[@manoo422]

Yeh, we need to be trapped in a dictatorship, not free to do what we want...

[@oatdilemma6395]

Time for you to go all the way lol

[@MikeTheBike58]

Have you seen the state of the EU lately?

[@Mergen-v9j]

@@MikeTheBike58 yes Have you seen Britain ? You Guys are running on fumes of the late 90s

[@cainneachdaugherty7172]

Biggest understatement of the century.

[@pedromarques9267]

I’m from Portugal (an EU country), and we would welcome the UK back to the EU anytime

[@joeyjojojrshabadoo7462]

Thanks Portugal. Miss you.

[@ricardomaximus424]

Doubt Germany, Italy, France and Poland think the same.

[@pedromarques9267]

@@joeyjojojrshabadoo7462 We miss you too 🇵🇹❤🇬🇧. Portugal has taken the following steps to help British citizens living in or visiting Portugal: - *Visa-free travel* : For short stays (up to 90 days in any 180-day period), British tourists can still visit Portugal without a visa. - *Tourism* : Portugal introduced a fast-track entry system at major airports for British tourists to minimize disruption caused by longer immigration checks post-Brexit. - *Healthcare* : British residents with a valid WARP can continue to access Portuguese healthcare services on the same terms as Portuguese citizens. - *Driving Licenses* : British citizens residing in Portugal can continue to use their UK driving licenses for a certain period, after which they need to exchange them for Portuguese licenses. - *Professional Qualifications* : Portugal has implemented a system to recognize UK professional qualifications, making it easier for British professionals to work in Portugal. - *Bilateral Agreements* : Portugal and the UK have signed various bilateral agreements to maintain cooperation in areas such as scientific research, cultural exchange, and security.

[@BalooSJ]

I would not. Not until they can get some stable internal agreement on whether they actually want to be in or out of the EU, and can be shown to be trusted trading partners. At that point, they can apply for membership again and get in line.

[@kaitek666]

I love how you had to disclose Portugal is in the EU 😂 we are not Americans!

[@CarthagoMike]

The UK actually recently signed a Declaration of Intent for North Sea security with various European countries. So Labour has at least started work on the closer security cooperation.

[@abelnicolaebaritone]

I mean... the arctic is melting away and fresh oil pockets and minerals are at reach. Agreements on security would have happened eventually.

[@thisismetoday]

I mean in all honesty they could just pass a bunch of legislation and make agreements with the EU to strengthen the relationship. As long as they don’t officially call it ‘reversing Brexit’ people are slow to notice these things.

[@nah88]

The EEC was a great idea and successful. The EU is a failed autocracy that allows too much power for a few people. Stronger economic ties with Europe/EU is a good thing, as long as the UK keeps it's sovereignty and right to domestic laws and regulations.

[@maartenaalsmeer]

_a failed autocracy_ Funny, you just described 14 years of Tory rule. The current economic ties the UK has with the EU are established within the TCA, which works just fine for the EU. And the UK lacks the leverage to change that. As far as EU membership goes: the UK is welcome to stay out, it isn't needed. One less unreliable and meddlesome member to worry about.

[@wengelder9256]

@@nah88 dumb comment . You don’t understand how the eu works .. “ a few people “. Get better information

[@georgiewalker5826]

I understand that outright joining the EU is unfeasible at this current time. Personally, I would like Stammer to just go all in, accept the four freedoms, especially FoM and just have much more integrated relationship with the EU, it would be good for European/EU stability, but it would be amazing for the UK. At this point does the electorate even care that much about Brexit sovereignty?

[@frankoneill5675]

Starmer doesn't have the option of accepting the four freedoms. They are not on offer. The four freedoms are the central pillars of the EU internal market, the main asset of EU membership. Why on earth would the EU allow that.

[@georgiewalker5826]

@@frankoneill5675 There is no way the EU is going to say no if the UK accepts the 4 pillars of the EU and pays into the budget that the EU, is going to be turning that down, not in a million years.

[@jasonhaven7170]

@@georgiewalker5826 The UK will never allow Freedom of Movement. Norway and Switzerland have to accept Freedom of Movement.

[@georgiewalker5826]

@@jasonhaven7170 Is FoM actually a issue for UK citizens now? Like polls suggest most people don't care

[@frankoneill5675]

@@georgiewalker5826 You cannot just put yourself in the EU internal market. It has nothing to do with paying. The way to EU Single Market access for the UK is through EU membership.

[@LeoMar-dm9mr]

seems like UK is the only one that seeks to gain from these proposals, just Labour's version of "cherry-picking"

[@Liz-ey5zs]

Thats how negotiating works. Until the discussion is had and the EU decide what they want in return and/or what theyre prepared to give for what, we wont know the benifits to the UK or the EU

[@BalooSJ]

I mean, the whole point of negotiating agreements is to (a) figure out things you actually agree on, and (b) get things you want in exchange for things the other side wants but you don't particularly value. I'm all for negotiating closer ties with the UK - the problem is that the previous government seemed to think they could dictate terms rather than negotiate. We'll see if Labour can negotiate better.

[@fLaMePr0oF]

You missed a very significant line hidden in the 'Product Safety and Metrology Bill': "This Bill will allow us to make the sovereign choice to mirror or diverge from updated EU rules, so that we can maintain high product safety while supporting businesses and economic growth". While the language is couched in Brexity language, (i.e. "sovereign choice" to mirror or "diverge"), it seems pretty clear that this is about creating a framework for standards alignment (as divergence would rarely if ever "support businesses and economic growth").

[@geofflepper3207]

Don't think they included the fact that Hungary currently has the presidency of the EU as one of its serious problems. Should have been included.

[@BalooSJ]

That'll fix itself in a few months.

[@Bramfly]

The EU is not only an economical community it is also a political community. And the UK never was enthusiastic about that endeavor. The UK only wants the benefits nothing else. Common market and Custums Union is only available for EU members, and EFTA and the current efta members do not want a large economy like the UK’s in the efta any time soon).

[@joeyjojojrshabadoo7462]

Tons of countries in Europe totally agree with this attitude but, it was supposed to be a Common Market.

[@RedXlV]

Yep, the UK wants to be both in and out of the EU. And refuses to accept the reality that it's not an option. There is no in-between to EU membership and non-membership.

[@joeyjojojrshabadoo7462]

@@RedXlV That's the schengen area. It overlaps but is different.

[@wengelder9256]

@@joeyjojojrshabadoo7462 totally wrong . Everything started as a politician initiative in the fifties ( the eu pre decessors ). Its main goal is still prosperity and peace on the continent . The euro , SM , … are tools , not a purpose in itself . And the Uk got refused twice for political reasons in the sixties .

[@wengelder9256]

Indeed . Norway made that clear .

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

Cameron and Truss supported Remain too, that means f**k all.

[@marcbrasse747]

As a Dutchman: It’s a start but this will take a lot of time. Good relations will be accepted if they are economically beneficial but the EU will not accept political influence again for the foreseeable future. Even before the whole Brexit argument started the mindset was often recalcitrant. No Schengen. No Euro. Constant unproven claims about the UK paying too much. Etc.

[@samhartford8677]

@Kantomirdes Indeed. This incessant British exceptionalism is tiresome. Now they are trying to get the Swiss deal without freedom of movement except for musicians. As if we were stupid enough to fall for that in the EU.

[@someonelastname8175]

Sunak: "liked that Macron was also short" ... brilliant!!

[@jaye20]

All these changes are minor, especially if you cannot change trade barriers. And I doubt the UK can change even minor policies. Chemical Regulatory would give access to sensitive data, certification on food is necessary as the UK needs to prove that quality requirements that align the country with Europe are met. The professional alignment will not happen in full; especially for Uni graduates, the UK has never even adopted the Bologna system and students in the UK have less credits than those in the EU. In the meanwhile, JD Vance has already criticised the UK and the Labour government openly. As Trump is expected to win the next elections, what is Labour going to do? Isolate the UK from the US and the EU? The EU needs to deal with Ukraine, internal divisions, immigration, environmental issues. They are not really thinking about the UK. Unless it's about security, agriculture or fishing which represent a super small part of the national GDP, nothing much will change...

[@mrmr446]

Given how the economy has reacted to leaving the incentive to rejoin seems obvious.

[@clmclmn21]

We can’t just ‘rejoin’ and elbow our way in. We’d have to apply to be members again and then there is the chance of rejection and/or a very very very long wait.

[@mrmr446]

@@clmclmn21 nothing to stop us applying then? Apart from a lack of imagination and fear of the press

[@RealMash]

For the UK. Not so much for the EU...out means out. It is your problem, not ours anymore.

[@XMysticHerox]

@@clmclmn21 The UK could easily apply and would likely be able to rejoin within a decade. Starmer just wants to avoid the controversial topic so will not do anything while pretending his hand is being forced.

[@MikeTheBike58]

Have you seen the state of the EU lately?,take off those rose tinted glasses.

[@TerenceCousins]

No. Not that bunch again!

[@HW-sw5gb]

It’s stupid to not work with the world’s 2nd largest economy right next to you. It’s like Canada ignoring the USA

[@arttig.3377]

As an EU citizen, I am against any agreements, which don't benefit EU directly. Brexit is British problem.

[@qtamomusic7620]

Having a stable, cooperative and affluent neighbour in the UK benefits the EU

[@adamclarke5154]

England is still a major economy, there's a reason eu didn't want England to leave.

[@icephoenix5466]

​@@xander6522everything or nothing is all we should be engaging in. No special entitled deals

[@Metallijosh100]

​@@xander6522The entirety of Brexit was the result of the arrogance of British citizens. And I'm British.

[@RealMash]

They always try to externalize their internal struggles by projecting it on the EU. Now they try to cherry pick from the outside. Did they not leave because theEU did not profit from the EU enough. Now they call it arrogance when asked what the EU would have in advantages if the joined? As long as they are that delusional and try to ecxtract concessions with another leverage, their imagined military strength (which is only true about their leased atomic weapons), they provide as a Nato member anyway.

[@jume8677]

Starmer wants concessions from the EU, but he has not yet mentioned any specific concessions for the EU. Sounds again cherry picking.

[@DarshUK1]

So many companies moved out of the UK after the Brexit vote. Even if we join the EU again, those companies won’t have any need to come back as it’s much cheaper to run out of other European countries. Sadly it’s too late even if they try to repair the damage caused by Brexit.

[@joebloggs4191]

Name 10 that 100% moved out of the UK! Most from what I see opened an European centre usually in the Netherlands to cater for their EU clients whilst still maintaining their base in the UK.

[@samhartford8677]

@@joebloggs4191 Yes, and given that the UK is not in a stable political position where the UKIPy Tories would not abolish such benefits (not that Labour is going to get any, aside of possibly an SPS agreement and mutual recognition of architect's qualifications), no company is going to abandon their investment in the EU in order to have to potentially do it again in a few years' time.

[@joebloggs4191]

@@samhartford8677 What western country is politically stable?

[@samhartford8677]

@@joebloggs4191 I meant politically stable in the sense that it would maintain the renegotiated access under a different government. No other Western country is unstable in that sense.

[@eddiecalderone]

@@samhartford8677 You need to catch up with the current situation… UKIP is non existent…. Also Brexit was never a Tory exclusive, many labour voters (not members or most MPs) but voters have voted leave. Now the U.K. is more stable politically than many other western democratic countries. Let’s compare…. Spain, which has a government coalition including Catalan separatists, with PM Pedro Sanchez almost resigning a few months ago? France…. I mean, just look how stability was effected by Macron recent calling for an election. Germany, the continent’s most reliable country…. The AfD has achieved a lot of success voting wise. One good news is Italy, finally the country of my grandmother, a country that is absolutely beautiful and has been underperforming for a long time, now is growing considerably more than before.