Keir Starmer’s hopes of securing a “superb deal” with the European Union have suffered a setback, as late-stage disagreements threaten to derail the negotiations. EU member states have reportedly expressed frustration with the lack of sufficient concessions from the UK on key issues, including access to British fishing waters and reduced tuition fees for EU students. Concerns have also resurfaced regarding the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which some EU officials insist must retain ultimate authority over questions of EU law.
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The UK government has pushed back, with a spokesperson maintaining that the negotiations remain ongoing and reiterating that the UK will act “in the national interest.” Officials have refused to comment on specific elements of the draft agreement, but it is clear that talks are at a sensitive stage. The dispute has drawn comparisons to the fraught withdrawal negotiations that followed the 2016 Brexit referendum, which culminated in the UK’s eventual departure from the bloc in 2020.
The proposed agreement is expected to be announced at a summit in London and is seen as part of a broader strategy to boost the UK economy. It would reportedly align certain UK regulations with EU standards to ease trade frictions and include a youth mobility scheme for 18 to 40-year-olds—similar to agreements the UK already holds with Australia. While the deal is intended to strike a balance that neither Brexiteers nor Rejoiners will wholly welcome, it is viewed as vital to the government’s economic recovery plans. Additional trade agreements with India and the United States have already been secured, and negotiations with the Gulf states are reportedly next on the agenda.
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Despite signs of progress, EU diplomats remain sceptical. A source told the Financial Times that EU nations are “unhappy with missing progress,” particularly around youth mobility and the perception that the UK is demanding broad concessions without offering reciprocal terms. Fishing rights have proven especially contentious—even among landlocked EU countries—while the proposed dispute resolution process, involving an independent arbitration panel advised by the ECJ, remains a sticking point. UK officials, however, maintain that final rulings will rest with the arbitration panel, not the ECJ, underscoring the continuing legal and political sensitivities involved.
