Sir Keir Starmer’s attempted post-Brexit EU reset has stalled, according to Brussels insiders. The Prime Minister said in August that he wants “a closer relationship on a number of fronts” with the European Union, however, sources have said the Labour leader has so far failed to present a coherent vision of what that closer relationship should actually look like.
The i reported a major trade body source as saying: “For all the pro-Europe noise ahead of the election, the Brexiteer muscle memory of the last government is clearly still there.
The outlet claims that various sources in Brussels have been left totally underwhelmed by Mr Starmer’s lack of action after initially being enthused by his pre-election rhetoric.
It is claimed that UK Government officials have failed to make attempts to consider what Brussels may be looking for from its relationship with London. Further, the sources add that Mr Starmer’s top team of advisors appear to have little interest in understanding how the complex Brussels system of lobbying really works.
“The Government has a number of EU experts based in London who could explain to them how this place works, the big picture stuff. Asking them would be a start,” a Brussels-based source told the i.
“But they’re not asking us [people in Brussels] questions like who the Anglophiles might be in the Commission. Who studied in Britain, who has British family, or things like that.”
Chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, demanded more detail from the Government on “concrete proposals” about the future relationship between Brussels and Downing Street.
With a tongue-in-cheek Spice Girls reference, he said: “Tell us what you want, what you really, really want”.
A government spokesperson told the outlet: “We do not recognise these claims. The UK Government continuously 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 working in EU member states.”