Starmer’s Brexit reset stalls

It’s no secret that the EU is not impressed Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset. Their main criticism is that, despite all the new government’s claims, restoring ties with Europe is central to its agenda. has yet to explain in detail what he really wants this new relationship will happen.

Keeping Brussels in the dark is one thing, but Starmer is now frightening the very people who once hoped they would be consulted about what a reset should look like and how it could be achieved.

This was stated by numerous pro-European British lobbyists based in Brussels. I they now believe the government’s ambitions are far less expansive than previously thought.

“Despite all the pro-European noise before the election, Brexiteers’ muscle memory of the last government is clearly still very much alive,” said a source representing a major trade body.

Business lobbyists were initially optimistic about the level of contact they had with Starmer’s team while they were in opposition. Trips to Brussels, where the then shadow ministers met Commission officials and other interested parties, were relatively frequent.

Such visits, along with Starmer early trips to Berlin and Parishas led the lobbying world to believe there will be a strategy to tackle some costly issues ahead of a formal review of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) in 2026.

But three months later, hopes faded. Many of those interested in the reset now fear that Starmer’s plan for Europe has little substance beyond warm words.

Many of those whom Starmer and co have previously turned to for advice say contact has decreased significantly since Labor came to power.

What’s their problem?

It’s not just that Starmer and his government have yet to articulate what they want from the reset or how they see the relationship in the wider context. As frustrating as this may be for Brexit watchers, at least there is a reasonable explanation for it.

The first UK-EU summit has not yet taken place and will not take place until next year. It was We agreed only at the beginning of this month and no serious negotiations will happen until that happens. Starmer was expected to behave well and not try to run before he could walk. Even the most dedicated Europhiles understand that relations between London and Brussels have become fragile over the past eight years.

I spoke to numerous sources from Brussels-based British lobbying and advocacy groups representing vital British industries – from the arts to food, science and innovation.

Many fear that while the government has made a lot of positive noise, its mentality is still dictated by the difficult post-Brexit years, when politicians avoided engaging with European issues to avoid a political backlash.

What frustrates business lobbyists is that they don’t see the British government making any serious effort to understand that The EU may want from Britain; or how Brussels, a city of extremely complex politics, operates.

“The government has a number of EU experts based in London who could explain to them how this place works, the big picture. A start would be to ask them,” says a source in Brussels. “But they don’t ask us (the people in Brussels) questions about who the Anglophiles in the Commission might be. Who studied in Britain, who has a British family or something like that.”

Although EU officials will never publicly admit it, understanding this less formal side of Brussels is crucial for those hoping to change the city’s politics.

To take a hypothetical example, the UK might want to reach an agreement with Brussels on an issue that is extremely important to the EU and its member states, such as security and defence.

Why this matters to the EU depends on who you ask. For the countries of the east and north we are talking about the Russian threat. For Western Europeans it is about the economy, investment and the industrial base. This dynamic is repeated many times in different institutions.

“The UK’s smart stance will appeal to eastern states who understand that their security is underpinned by NATO and non-EU countries, while demonstrating to thrifty Western states that the UK can ease their financial burden in meeting obligations,” said an insider in Brussels. I.

EU officials and British lobbyists say interaction and interest in both the formal and informal sides of Brussels politics has declined significantly since Brexit, making the relationship between the two much more difficult to understand.

Why is this so critical now?

It’s fair to say that there won’t be any meaningful progress on the reset until the first formal UK-EU summit early next year. And what meaningful progress might mean is still a matter of debate.

Other than treaties signed between the two parties, there is no formal reset process. Unlike Brexit, there are no formal negotiations that could help both sides get through something like Article 50 leading to the final exit of a member state.

The UK does not formally apply to join any EU institutions, so there is no accession process. The reset will likely involve individual negotiations on specific areas of mutual interest, addressed on a case-by-case basis.

This is where understanding the mood of Brussels and what is politically possible becomes so important. And this is especially true now.

A new EU parliament was recently elected following the June European elections. The new commission is scheduled to take office before the end of the year, with confirmation hearings set to begin Monday. It would be trivial to describe the current mood as that of the start of a new semester, but it is certainly true: Brussels is closer to the beginning of a political cycle than to its end.

This means now is a good time to sort out the relationships between member states, institutions, groups in Parliament and any potential new factions in the Commission. But even the British in Brussels today are no longer able to understand EU politics.

“Clearly Britain has had to be seen as an outsider after it left,” says a Brussels insider. “In practice this means The UK is further from Europe than other third countries.”

Multiple sources explained that, unlike other third countries that always seek to build bridges with the EU, Britain’s decision to tear down those bridges puts it in a completely unique position among EU allies.

A senior British lobbyist explained that even if he does not work for the government, UK and EU hostility means access to officials will be limited. Not only the government, but also all British interests in Europe were in a new place.

Good reset; bad reset

Brussels is quite a difficult place to navigate at the best of times. When you have your own goals, it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and everything Europe has on its plate at any given time. Starmer’s reset is simply not high on the EU’s list of problems, and he should remember that.

Yes, the Prime Minister still has a long way to go and many opportunities to improve the UK’s relationship with Europe. But he should be wary of alienating people on his side who might want to help speed up the process of resetting from frozen to glacial.

And business lobbyists aren’t the only ones frustrated by the UK’s lack of involvement. Last week, senior members of the German European Parliament made similar statements.

David McAllister, chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, called for more details and “concrete proposals”, quoting the Spice Girls telling the UK: “Tell us what you want, what you really, really want” as he calls for ” more details” and “specific proposals”.

A government spokesman said: “We do not accept these claims. The UK Government regularly engages with businesses, industry groups, think tanks and other experts from both the UK and EU member states. The UK also benefits from the expertise of diplomats serving in EU member states.”