The Guardian view on UK trade: quiet re-engagement is a slow fix for Brexit’s mistakes | Editorial

In the theatre of 21st-century commercialized diplomacy, symbolism often eclipses substance. Last week’s UK-India and US-UK agreements uncover a funny asymmetry: successful both, the larger partner, successful presumption of GDP, leveraged the narration for governmental ends, portion the UK supplied what matters – regulatory prestige and high-income consumers. The erstwhile woody offers India a accidental to ascent the “value chain” and entree markets it cannot replicate astatine home. Donald Trump utilized his pact to signifier a spectacle of grievance and control.

Ironically, Britain – the smaller system – behaves similar the grown-up successful some rooms. India turns the statement into genuine gains. The UK’s commercialized concessions connection a glimpse of Delhi’s broader ambition: to pry unfastened rich-world markets and entree captious tech, arsenic India positions itself arsenic the west’s manufacturing alternate to China. By contrast, Mr Trump’s America focuses connected image implicit impact. But Washington has tacitly conceded that the existent enactment – connected AI, integer services tax and UK pharma tariffs inactive successful spot nether the deal – has yet to begin. The pact falls good abbreviated of the sweeping statement Britain erstwhile sought with the US, and lacks the extent of the UK-India deal.

The UK, erstwhile the imperial core, is present excessively tiny to beryllium intimidating but excessively utile to discard. It is flattered and exploited not for its size, but for its quality to confer marketplace credibility and post-Brexit validation. But it is connected Europe that the spotlight is astir to fall. Sir Keir Starmer knows person ties are successful the economical interests of the country, adjacent if section elections punctual him that Brexit wounds inactive fester. He should bash the close happening – and question a better deal erstwhile helium meets the EU committee president, Ursula von der Leyen, adjacent week successful London. The EU’s share of full UK commercialized is 20 times that of India.

The UK’s post-Brexit “reset” with the EU is taking signifier not done expansive gestures but done a cautious choreography of selective re-engagement. Sir Keir is softly rebuilding organization ties – particularly defence – portion studiously avoiding the connection of reversal. His committedness of an “ambitious” person commercialized concern sounds reassuring, but offers small beyond aspiration. There are limits to specified low-key rapprochement: a projected youth mobility scheme has tally aground connected the rocks of governmental symbolism. Ironically, successful seeking to stabilise relations without unsettling a home narrative, he’s inching towards alignment portion insisting he’s doing thing of the sort. It is pragmatic but painfully performative.

The UK should attack its trading narration with the EU arsenic a liable nation, respecting shared rules without demanding the perks of membership. Sir Keir is doing that – a triumph fixed past Brexit delusions. Britain request not rejoin the azygous marketplace – state of question remains politically unviable – but it tin prosecute a deeper customs partnership that reduces commercialized frictions and anchors regulatory practice without breaking Labour’s manifesto pledges.

In a sane world, fixing the Northern Ireland post-Brexit mess would beryllium portion of the plan: person alignment connected customs and standards with the EU would easiness interior UK trade, trim friction and assistance safeguard peace. A bespoke customs arrangement, coupled with deals successful the energy, subject and services sectors, would let Britain to lend to European growth portion advancing its ain strategical interests. This is not submission but mature interdependence. That is simply a relation Britain is good suited to play successful a multipolar, crisis-prone world.