UK-EU summit will be step on path to better relations, says Rachel Reeves

The UK-EU acme connected Monday is simply a “step towards” a deeper and ongoing concern with Europe, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said, saying immoderate woody struck adjacent week volition not beryllium a “one off.”

In an interrogation with the Guardian, Reeves suggested the authorities was looking for person ties with Europe beyond what was connected the array this coming Monday, adding: “There volition beryllium aboriginal areas successful which we tin bash more.”

She said the authorities would amusement determination had been a decisive interruption with the ideological Brexit battles of the past, saying “there is simply a batch of country for improvement” for ways to commercialized with the bloc.

Asked if the UK had raised its aboriginal sights beyond fixes specified arsenic a veterinary woody that were acceptable retired successful the Labour manifesto, Reeves said determination would ever beryllium the reddish lines of nary azygous market, customs national oregon a instrumentality to escaped movement, but suggested determination was inactive much that could beryllium done.

“We deliberation that due to the fact that of the spot we built, we tin get a amended deal. The European Union person understood from the opening those reddish lines,” she said.

“I americium ambitious for our future. This isn’t a one-off. There volition beryllium things that we achieve, immoderate factual outcomes connected Monday, but determination volition besides beryllium a measurement towards wherever we privation to spell adjacent betwixt our countries.

“And I spot that arsenic a journey, not that what happens connected Monday is the end; determination volition beryllium aboriginal areas wherever we tin bash more.”

Her remarks spell further than Keir Starmer’s successful the Guardian past week, erstwhile helium said helium would not “start speculating” beyond a woody that was yet to beryllium agreed, but added: “We tin beryllium ambitious. I bash deliberation that we tin person a palmy reset.”

On Friday, Starmer told European governmental leaders gathering successful Albania that the UK would not “respond by turning inwards” astatine specified a large clip of uncertainty but “by taking its spot connected the satellite stage, strengthening our alliances, supporting state and bid successful Europe”.

More than 60 Labour MPs person already urged the authorities to spell further than its plans astatine Monday’s acme – including connected a younker mobility woody wherever a time-limited mentation is present nether discussion.

They besides suggested further Brexit commercialized barriers could beryllium removed done a Canada-style woody involving a communal designation statement (MRA) connected conformity assessment, allowing standards of goods to beryllium tested successful the UK earlier export. That alteration has been powerfully backed by UK concern groups.

But the beardown show successful the May section elections of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK – presently starring the polls – means immoderate adjacent alignment is fraught with governmental risk.

Tense negotiations, connected adjacent the astir basal issues, are expected to proceed until the last hours earlier the highly anticipated acme astatine Lancaster House betwixt Starmer and elder EU figures, including the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Key conflicts inlcude a rejection by EU subordinate states of UK positions connected sportfishing and fees for EU students.

It remains apt that Monday’s acme volition unafraid a defence and information agreement, but that is not expected to let Britain entree to a caller €150bn (£125bn) European defence fund.

Instead, authorities officials accidental they expect Monday’s woody to pave the mode for aboriginal talks connected British companies being capable to bid for wealth from the indebtedness installation known arsenic Security Action for Europe.

“Monday is not astir entree to the defence fund,” the defence secretary, John Healey, said during a gathering of European defence ministers successful Rome. “This is simply a large step, but it’s a archetypal step, and the negotiations won’t extremity connected Monday.”

Easing of commercialized restrictions are expected to beryllium stated ambitions alternatively than sealed. Members states person criticised UK plans not to exempt EU students from overseas tuition interest rates, a reddish enactment for the government.

The economical imaginable of person ties with Europe is acold greater than the 2 deals clinched truthful far; 41% of UK goods exports inactive spell to the EU, much than to the US, India and Indo-Pacific combined.

But Reeves said those deals struck with India and the US had already delivered maturation and saved jobs.

“People said you had to choose, and Keir was truly wide that we weren’t going to choose,” she said.

“I was astatine Rolls-Royce connected Thursday – their engines going to the US volition beryllium zero tariffs. The premier curate was astatine Jaguar Land Rover past week, wherever it could person been to denote a bundle to enactment redundancies. Instead, it was marking a commercialized woody which means they tin commencement exporting again.”

Reeves, present the 2nd longest-serving concern curate successful the G7, said the deals were coming arsenic a effect of a ferocious effort and the UK’s comparative stableness successful a tumultuous world.

“We worked truly hard. And also, crucially, enactment the state first, not the enactment first,” she said.

“And that’s astir apt much truthful with Europe than anyplace else, due to the fact that our system is being held backmost by the past authorities that enactment the Tory enactment first, ne'er the state first, due to the fact that of their ideological issues astir Europe.

“They were unwilling to bash what was indispensable to enactment British businesses, British jobs and families successful the UK.”

Reeves dismissed suggestions that negotiations were successful occupation due to the fact that of fraught briefings from some sides implicit the trouble of reaching statement successful the last hours connected fishing, information and pupil fees.

“Last Tuesday, we weren’t definite we were going to beryllium capable to denote the India woody that day, and aforesaid connected Thursday with the US deal. There are pugnacious negotiators connected some sides. But we’ve worked truly hard to re-establish that trust.”

All 3 deals – the US, India and the EU woody to travel – person been the taxable of important disapproval from some the Conservatives and Reform. Reeves said she acknowledged the authorities had a occupation to bash to explicate however planetary commercialized would payment British jobs.

But she said the Conservative attacks had been “extraordinary” – particularly Kemi Badenoch’s vow to rip up immoderate forthcoming EU deal.

“If you privation to propulsion up the drawbridge and retreat from the remainder of the world, you’re not going to marque radical amended off, and you’re going to beryllium selling Britain short,” she said.

“Look astatine the woody that we secured with the US, and monolithic opportunities for steel, car exports and aerospace arsenic well. That’s what I privation to unafraid with Europe arsenic well.”

Reeves and Starmer are acceptable to look a challenging fortnight aft the EU acme arsenic a important rebellion grows successful the enactment implicit welfare cuts, including a backstage missive informing against the government’s reforms signed by much than 100 MPs.

The chancellor struck a conciliatory code towards MPs, portion defending the plans to chopped disablement benefits for immoderate claimants.

“We’ve got much enactment to bash to amusement that what we’re doing is the close and just happening to do,” she said.

“Obviously, I perceive to my colleagues and perceive their concerns, and they talk to voters each week successful their ain constituencies. But there’s not a azygous Labour MP that I’ve met that thinks that the strategy we inherited is working.

“I privation to assistance radical retired of poverty, peculiarly I privation to assistance children retired of poverty, and of course, we’ll acceptable retired much plans to bash that.