Sir Keir Starmer will host European leaders tomorrow for a landmark summit which could fundamentally alter the post-Brexit status quo. The Prime Minister has consistently pledged to reset relations with the European Union and tomorrow’s meeting could see details of a major agreement between the bloc and the UK announced.
Ministers are currently locked into negotiations with the EU but it is expected that the deal will include a youth mobility scheme which will let European under-35s live and work in the UK. Politicians from across the political divide have warned that the scope of the agreement could lead to a reversal of large parts of the Brexit deal. Speaking ahead of the final day of negotiations, Starmer said it would “be good for our jobs, good for our bills and good for our borders”.
He added: “That’s what the British people voted for last year, and it’s what my Government will deliver.”
Critics argue that the plans could open the floodgates to thousands of entering the country illegally, with the Conservatives labelling tomorrow’s meeting as the “surrender summit”.
According to the Telegraph, the EU is pushing for a Youth Mobility Scheme to allow migrants aged between 18 and 30 to stay in the UK for as long as three years.
Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: “This scheme could open the floodgates to tens of thousands or more flooding into the country including people who recently entered Europe illegally and then got citizenship, which in some countries can happen in just three years.
“Last week, Starmer said he wanted to clamp down on immigration but he’s now on the verge of throwing open the doors.
“He is a disingenuous charlatan when it comes to our border security.”
According to the Sun, Monday’s agreement could open the door to EU fishermen being allowed to trawl in British waters and UK taxpayer money being diverted once more to Brussels.
Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said: “Labour looks set to open our borders and start the process of reintroducing free movement by the back door with some form of youth mobility scheme.
“Labour’s plans are not about improving cooperation with our European friends and allies, they’re about surrendering control to them.”
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has warned the agreement could lead to an influx of EU migrants to take up employment in the health and care sector, something the Prime Minister vowed to crackdown on just last week.
Speaking on BBC’s Newsnight, he said the agreement would “put rocket boosters up businesses in London where we have critical gaps in hospitality, in creative industries, in health and social care, in other sectors”.
Critics have argued that the move will undermine Starmer’s vow to end “a squalid chapter for our politics.”