Keir Starmer’s chief negotiator says the UK must be “ruthlessly pragmatic” with the Brexit reset talks and strike an ambitious deal in just three months.
European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told the EU/UK Forum in Brussels on Tuesday that the prime minister will host a leader summit in May “where we hope we can deliver a balanced yet ambitious outcome to benefit all our citizens”.
The approach to the talks contrasts heavily with years taken by the Tories to negotiate Brexit after the 2016 referendum, bogged down by disputes in parliament and fractures in the Conservative party before eventually leaving in 2020.
Among other issues on the table will be a youth mobility scheme for under-30s well as cooperation on trade, defence, energy security and tackling crime and illegal migration.
Mr Thomas-Symonds, who is based in the Cabinet Office, set the tough timetable as he prepared to enter the first round of talks later with EU representatives.
He told the audience “we can do better” highlighting “unnecessary barriers to trade” and a failure to properly cooperate over the migrant crisis.
The speech came amid international turbulence with the continued war in Ukraine and Donald Trump threatening to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China and the EU.
Mr Thomas-Symonds underlined Sir Keir’s offer for the UK to play a much bigger role in European defence cooperation as part of the negotiations. but he said it needed to go much further on economic matters too.
He said: “It is obvious to me, as I am sure it is to all of you, but at a time of such intense global change, the UK and the EU have many mutually aligned interests and challenges.
“We want increased prosperity, we want to strengthen our security, and we want our citizens to be safe. Those joint challenges that we face were powerfully set out by our chancellor, Rachel Reeves and indeed, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“Just last week, in her growth speech, my friend the chancellor, did not shy away from the economic challenges that we are confronting. She said, growth will not come without a fight, without a government that is willing to take the right decisions now to change our country’s future for the better for too long, she said that potential has been held back.
“On the same day, President von der Leyen presented the competitiveness compass, saying that, and I quote, Europe has everything it needs to succeed, but at the same time, we must fix our weaknesses to regain competitiveness.”
The minister went on: “I want to say straightforwardly that we see real opportunities to improve the status quo. As Business Europe have set out in their report this autumn, there remain many unnecessary barriers to trade and investment following the election of new governments in the EU and UK, there is a clear opportunity to upgrade the relationship to deliver for businesses and citizens. I agree with them.”
He added: “Reducing trade barriers is of mutual benefit to the UK and the EU.”
But Mr Thomas-Symonds also made clear that security and tackling organised crime are also high on the agenda. He hit out at the previous Tory government’s obsession with the “doomed” Rwanda scheme while they distanced themselves from EU allies.
He said: “We cannot continue in this way with one of our largest, most important partners, and that is why this government will always work in the UK’s national interest. And for me, that means being a ruthlessly pragmatic negotiator.
“That means making the case for closer working with our allies in the EU to make people across the UK and the EU safer, more secure and more prosperous. That means making sure we are working to strengthen co operation, moving away from the zero sum win, lose, dynamic which we have seen in recent years, and that is the spirit I take into discussions with the EU.”
He added: “The UK and the EU have many mutually beneficial interests, and I want to build on these as we work to reset our relationship to help construct a more secure, a safer and a more prosperous UK and EU.”
Downing Street confirmed Sir Keir will welcome European leaders to the UK on May 19 for the first UK-EU summit.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “We can confirm that the UK will welcome European leaders to the UK for the first UK-EU leaders summit on May 19.
“The Prime Minister will host the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“The first UK-EU summit will provide an opportunity to make further progress on areas which will deliver tangible benefits for the people of the UK and EU and further strengthen the relationship between the UK and the EU.”
The summit is expected to be the first in an annual series of meetings between UK and EU leaders.
Previously, the prime minister has made clear that greater defence cooperation within the framework of Nato is at the heart of his plans for a renewed relationship with the EU.
Already he has signed a defence cooperation agreement with Germany building on ones in place with France and Italy.
Last year The Independent revealed that the strategy will be based around three pillars – security, defence and trade.