Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out Youth Mobility Scheme with EU amid trade talks

Sir Keir Starmer met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday as she attended London for an energy security conference.

The pair are keen to get defence details finalised ahead of next month’s summit, however for the first time senior Government figures appear to have conceded that a youth mobility scheme is on the table in discussions.

This would allow 18 to 30-year-olds from the UK to travel and work freely in the EU, and vice versa, for a set period of time.

Previously, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper ruled this out, saying “that is not our plan”, amid fears it may cross Labour’s Brexit red lines around freedom of movement.

However, on her visit to Washington DC, the Chancellor appeared to say the youth mobility scheme was part of discussions.

She told LBC: “Well, this Labour government is going to bring down net migration and we are not going to return to free movement.

“We need to be able to determine who comes into our country and the needs of our economy. And those things are non-negotiable.

“There will be a summit between the UK and the EU in May, and that summit will be focused on reducing some of the trade barriers that exist between our countries.”

When pressed on whether a youth mobility scheme was on the table, Ms Reeves responded: “Those discussions with our colleagues and allies in the European Union are ongoing at the moment.

“We made a clear manifesto commitment to bring down net migration and for no return to free movement within the European Union.”

Ms Reeves is thought to be in favour of a scheme as it could boost economic growth, while the Home Office is concerned about any rise in migration.

Officials are reportedly considering a scheme for one year, which would mean arrivals would not be included in the migration statistics.

It comes as 64 per cent of voters in Yorkshire favoured a youth mobility scheme which would give under 30s from the UK and Europe two years to work and travel uninhibited. Only 18 per cent of people in the county opposed this.

Even when asked about a four year version of the scheme opposition in Yorkshire remained extremely low with only one in four opposed.

Ahead of Sir Keir’s meeting with Ms von der Leyen yesterday, 62 Labour MPs - including Leeds Central and Headingley’s Alex Sobel and Sheffield Central’s Abtisam Mohamed - penned a letter to Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister in charge of negotiations with the EU, calling for “a new and bespoke youth visa scheme”.

The MPs and peers said any youth mobility scheme should be in line with the UK’s existing arrangements with countries such as Australia and Canada, with a time limit on visas and a cap on numbers.

They said: “A bespoke scheme would extend new cultural, educational and economic opportunities to young people in the UK without returning to free movement.”

The group also called for deeper collaboration with the EU on defence, a deal on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures to reduce border checks on food products, both of which are in line with Government policy, among other suggestions.