Sir Keir Starmer's Brexit red lines mean any reset is likely to be limited, landmark report finds

It was published today, five years on from when the UK signed the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and thus formally moved out of the EU.

UKICE director, Professor Anand Menon, explained that the report shows the issue “will never really be ‘done’”.

“We argue that the UK-EU relationship will continue to change, whether the key legal texts governing it – the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement – are formally revised or not,” he explained.

Since coming into power last July, the Prime Minister has been touring Europe to try and “reset relations” following Brexit.

However, the UKICE report says this is “limited” by Sir Keir’s pre-election red lines, of not rejoining the EU, single market or customs union.

It explained: “The Minister for EU Relations [Nick Thomas-Symonds] says Labour’s manifesto commitments (new agreements on SPS, touring artists, professional qualifications, and a security pact) are only ‘examples’ of what it wants to achieve in the reset, implying there may be more to come.

“Yet, as long as the government sticks to its red lines of no customs union or single market, other options are limited.”

It added: “The lack of a clear plan will arguably make it harder for the UK to achieve what it wants, not least as other aspects of the evolving UK-EU relationship might intrude upon the ‘reset’.”

Campaigners have urged the Government to take swifter action to mend our relationship with the EU.

Emma Knaggs, deputy CEO at European Movement UK, said: “"The damage that leaving the EU has done to the UK isn't subjective. The numbers speak for themselves.

“The Office for Budget Responsibility has said that the volume of UK imports and exports will both be 15 per cent lower in the long run than if we remained in the EU.

“That is billions less to the Treasury, to our public services, and to our flatlining economy.

"That means a four per cent reduction in the potential productivity of the UK economy, with the full effects only realised after 15 years.

“We are five years in - do we want another 10 years of economic havoc, or do we want to take a sensible, responsible path towards undoing the damage that Brexit has done."

The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson told The Yorkshire Post: “The Government’s approach to working with the EU is to strengthen our ties on security and defence, improve the relationship on trade and investment and work with the EU to identify areas which are in the UK’s national interest.

“You can see through the work we’ve done so far, working towards a security partnership, committed to six-monthly foreign policy dialogues that we’re taking an approach that supports our ambitions to deliver greater safety, security and prosperity across the UK.”