Starmer rejects claim ‘win-win’ UK-EU deal has sold out fishing sector – UK politics live | Politics
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- May 19, 2025
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Starmer rejects claim he has sold out fishing sector, saying deal is ‘good for fishing’
The leaders are now taking questions.
Q: [From the BBC’s Chris Mason] Haven’t you sold out the fishing sector?
Starmer says the principles behind today are about bills, jobs and borders. The SPS changes will take away a lot of red tape.
Over 70% of seafood goes to EU. This will help them, he says.
The length of time for the agreement provides stability.
Annual negotiations on fishing would have generated uncertainty.
Shellfish can be sold back into the EU, he says.
He end saying this is “good for fishing”.
Key events
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Starmer’s EU deal will repair just small fraction of damage done by Brexit, says Plaid Cymru
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How deal will allow UK and EU to link emission trading schemes
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TUC welcomes deal with EU, but says it should be ‘just the beginning’ of boosting links
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Green party welcomes EU deal as ‘definitely step on right direction’
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Trade body for Scottish salmon industry hails EU deal as ‘breakthrough’
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Boris Johnson denounces deal with EU, calling Starmer ‘orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels’
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Badenoch claims Starmer’s EU deal has broken all five of her tests for it to be acceptable
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Education sector welcomes move towards UK rejoining Erasmus+ and setting up ‘youth experience’ scheme
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Scottish government welcomes key parts of deal with EU, but says fishing industry has been betrayed
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Von der Leyen ducks question about how much UK might have to contribute to participate in €150bn weapons fund
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‘Genuine progress’ – business groups welcome deal with EU
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Energy sector welcomes deal with EU, said it could save billions over course of this parliament
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Starmer rejects claim he has sold out fishing sector, saying deal is ‘good for fishing’
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Starmer says British firms will save £800m from emissions trading deal
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UK and EU agree to hold regular summits every year
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Starmer, von der Leyen and Costa hold press conference
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UK-EU summit deal published
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Meat industry welcomes deal, saying Labour has achieved ‘what previous government promised originally but didn’t deliver’
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Starmer says he wants to move on ‘from stale old debates’ of Brexit with EU deal
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Deal with EU will make food cheaper and add £9bn to UK economy, says No 10
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Youth mobility scheme with EU to be called ‘youth experience scheme’, leak suggests
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Starmer’s deal ‘far worse than Boris Johnson’s’ for fishing sector, says Scottish Fishermen’s Federation
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Ed Davey welcomes deal and urges Starmer to ignore ‘naysayers and dinosaurs’ in Reform UK and Tory party
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Tory claims about EU deal being ‘surrender’ are ‘nonsense’, says Conservative peer and supermarket boss Stuart Rose
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Deal could lead to ‘end of fishing industry’, Farage claims
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Minister says deal with EU shows Britain ‘back on world stage’
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‘Total capitulation’ – Tories attack deal on fishing, even though it extends concessions originally made by Boris Johnson
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Scottish government complains about not being consulted over deal with EU on fishing
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Reynolds refuses to deny report saying EU fishing rights in UK waters extended for 12 years under deal
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EU fishing rights in UK waters extended for 12 years under deal, BBC reports
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Reynolds suggests EU and UK have agreed youth mobility scheme with cap on numbers
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Agenda for the day
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UK-EU reset deal still not agreed, business secretary says
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What could be in the new security and defence pact that is likely to be announced today?
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Breakthrough in EU-UK talks
There will be a Commons vote on at least one aspect of the deal, my colleague Jessica Elgot points out on Bluesky.
One remarkable thing which shows how far we have come. There will be a vote in parliament on the agrifoods deal with the EU.
Once, that would have been the top line of every news story. Starmer is first PM in more than a decade who doesn’t have to worry about that vote at all.
Jess also points out that today’s was a rare example of the government talking openly about the economic damage done by Brexit.
The second most remarkable thing is that the government issuing its own press releases about just how much damage Brexit has done to trade and our economy. How many years of pretending that wasn’t happening?
Julia Kollewe
Julia Kollewe is a Guardian financial reporter.
Stephen Phipson, who runs Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, has welcomed the government’s “pragmatic approach to improving relations with the EU, still our largest trading partner”.
Commenting on the deal, he said:
Removing trade frictions on GB food imports and exports is a priority and will help bring an end to the spectre of food exports bound for the EU lying rotting in British ports while awaiting customs clearance. And confirmation that the UK and EU will look to strengthen and cooperate on food standards (SPS) arrangements will bring much needed clarity to the sector.
The agreement that the UK and EU will link their carbon markets to avoid taxes on carbon-intensive goods like steel and cement travelling between the UK and EU is also welcome news as is the proposed youth mobility scheme, which will allow young talent to flow between the UK and the EU once again.
According to Jessica Parker, the BBC’s Berlin correspondent, on social media, in Brussels there is some mild ‘we told you so’ gloating going on in private.
There is a *bit* of gloating going on in Brussels about #UK / #EU deal.
One diplomat writes: “The deal is balanced—arguably with favourable terms for the EU—and simply shows that splendid isolation is not an option in today’s climate.”
David Henig, UK director of the European Centre For International Political Economy, a trade thinktank, has a useful thread on the deal starting here. And here are some of his conclusions.
My initial impressions – probably more balanced than I was expecting with UK clearly prioritising Home Office issues. But less detail – talks on individual issues are going to be really difficult. There will need to be a strong political layer to maintain progress.
This is a reasonable start to the normalisation of UK-EU relations away from the fantasies we see from the Conservatives and Reform. But that’s all it is, a start, and both sides have much more to do to turn this into a productive partnership.
So there’s a big gap between the obviously modest trade deals the government is doing, which don’t particularly prioritise growth, and the half-baked narrative that claims these are going to deliver great results. But at least actions are mostly sane.
Formally now time to welcome the UK to a Swiss-style relationship of permanent negotiation and multiple deals with the EU.
Simon Usherwood, an academic and Brexit specialist, has posted this chart on Bluesky summing up what is in the deal agreed today. It highlights the point that, while some aspects have been firmly agreed, others are still being negotiated, or are just matters for discussion.
Usherwood has also got a thread on Bluesky summing up his assessment. Here are some of his conclusions.
However, all this has landed probably at the better end of where UK govt might have hoped:
– noises off as expected, but weakened by the rejections made w/o even waiting for the texts
– mild surprise at extent of the list of topics under discussion
In sum, a reasonable place to start, but very much a marathon, not a sprint
Starmer’s EU deal will repair just small fraction of damage done by Brexit, says Plaid Cymru
Like the Green party (see 4.43pm), Plaid Cymru has described today’s deal as a step on the right direction. But it says the government should go much further and rejoin the single market and the customs union.
This is from Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid’s leader at Westminster.
It is welcome that we are finally beginning to move beyond the illusions and false promises that characterised the Brexit years. Today’s EU ‘reset’ marks a step in the right direction, but the UK government must go much further. Keir Starmer has an opportunity to show bold leadership by facing economic reality: rejoining the single market and customs union is clearly in our economic interests.
For Wales, stronger ties with our European neighbours mean a stronger economy, thriving communities, and restored opportunities for our young people. The numbers speak for themselves – today’s deal adds just 0.2% to UK GDP by 2040, a fraction of the 4% loss to GDP inflicted by Brexit, as estimated by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
How deal will allow UK and EU to link emission trading schemes
Fiona Harvey
Fiona Harvey is a Guardian environment editor
Companies covered by UK carbon trading regulations may be able to trade their greenhouse gas emissions allowances with their European counterparts again under a resolution in the UK-EU summit agreement to link up the UK’s system to the bigger EU market.
The EU’s carbon trading system, which has been running for 20 years, covers energy generation, heavy industries, aviation and shipping. Companies within these sectors must pay for allowances to cover the carbon emissions they are responsible for, and can trade these among themselves to encourage efficiency.
After Brexit, the UK split off its carbon trading system, creating a minor administrative headache for multinational businesses, and arguably creating more volatility. The UK’s carbon prices have been significantly lower than those in the EU, meaning less of an incentive for companies to clean up their operations.
Allowing some form of link between the systems could also help the UK government introduce a long-awaited green tariff. Treasury officials have been poring over a potential “carbon border adjustment mechanism” (CBAM) for years, but the idea has been brought forward and put back by successive chancellors of the exchequer.
A CBAM would penalise imports of high carbon goods, such as steel, from countries with high greenhouse gas emissions or an over-dependence on coal, such as China and India. This would both level the playing field for heavy industries in the UK, which are currently forced to compete on international markets with products from countries with lax regulatory regimes or that subsidise their own industries, and create an incentive for other countries to clean up.
But CBAMs are complex and controversial, and bitterly opposed by some developing nations. The UK’s proposal for a CBAM is still embryonic, with no firm details and no decision on when or how it could be implemented. The EU’s is more advanced, and covers goods such as iron and steel, cement and fertilisers, but it is still not fully operational. No penalties are scheduled to come into force until next January, when in theory exporters to the EU will have to buy carbon credits under its emissions trading system to cover the carbon emitted in the production of their goods.
If the UK were to join the EU in a CBAM, it could cut down on the problem of “carbon leakage” – companies exploiting the fact that some countries have few controls on emissions, and moving production to where it is cheapest.
Energy UK, the industry body, has welcomed the agreement. (See 1.58pm.)
TUC welcomes deal with EU, but says it should be ‘just the beginning’ of boosting links
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, has welcomed the deal with the EU. He said:
Today’s summit represents an important first step towards securing a much-needed closer relationship with the EU.
Ministers have made the right call by protecting jobs in key industries, such as steel, from being hit by carbon border taxes.
And they have made important progress on removing trading barriers to boost British jobs and deliver greater opportunity for young people to work and study in the EU.
The Conservatives’ botched Brexit agreement set workers and business back at home and abroad. That’s why a reset with the EU is common sense – especially in an increasingly volatile global economy.
We are clear – today is just the beginning. Governments on both sides of the channel must continue with an ambitious approach, including a shared commitment to strong employment rights and collective bargaining.
Much of what has been agreed today is what the TUC was calling for in a statement issued earlier this year saying a closer trading relationship with the EU was “more important than ever”.
Green party welcomes EU deal as ‘definitely step on right direction’
The Green party has welcomed today’s UK-EU deal as “a step in the right direction”. In a statement, Carla Denyer, the party’s co-leader, said:
Today’s reset is being broadly welcomed by businesses and is good news for UK consumers faced with the cost of living crisis. There is also hope for young people who want to live, work, study and form friendships freely across Europe.
The Green party would like to see an even closer relationship between the UK and EU starting with re-joining the customs union and full freedom of movement across the continent.
But today’s agreement is definitely a step in the right direction and moves us forward from a place where Reform and the Tories would like us to stay stuck. Their Brexit betrayal rhetoric shows they are willing to disregard the damage inflicted on the country through Brexit and ignore the fact that the vast majority of the UK public now believe the UK was wrong to leave the EU.
Julia Kollewe
Julia Kollewe is a Guardian financial reporter.
Commenting on the impact of the UK-EU trade deal, economists at the Dutch bank ING said:
Monday’s European deal with Britain is a positive first step, but it won’t massively boost the economy, nor help avoid tax rises in the autumn. Further regulatory alignment might do that and would help boost sterling. But existing UK and EU red lines make that a daunting task.
While Kemi Badenoch was holding her press office, the Labour party press office sent out a list of questions for her. Here are some of them that indicate why the Conservative party’s pledge to reject the deal could be a liability the time of the next election.
Labour says:
Linking UK and EU carbon markets would help bring down energy bills in the future and enable businesses to avoid the £7 billion costs of the EU’s carbon border tax. Kemi Badenoch previously supported linking the markets and even introduced legislation to enable it when she was a Treasury Minister.
With the Tories pledging to repeal the deal, would she reintroduce the £7bn of carbon border taxes on business?
Kemi Badenoch says she will reverse the deal that the Labour government has just negotiated.
Does she accept that will mean the Conservatives would put higher tariffs on British steel exports?
This morning, the shadow chancellor said: “What we [the Conservatives] do want is greater access for our services particularly financial services and our legal services.”
Isn’t this an admission that the Conservatives want a closer relationship with the EU, and that their Brexit deal wasn’t good enough?
And this is from the FT’s Stephen Bush on Bluesky on the imagery used by Boris Johnson and Daniel Hannan to convey their feelings about the EU deal. (See 4.06pm.)
Call me Andrea Dworkin, but I just think it’s corrosive that there are quite so many references to sexual acts in the British right’s response to this deal.
Trade body for Scottish salmon industry hails EU deal as ‘breakthrough’
Severin Carrell
Severin Carrell is the Guardian’s Scotland editor.
Salmon Scotland, the trade body which represents the fish farms behind the UK’s largest food export, said the EU trade deal would “slash red tape” and cut export costs.
The organisation estimates that post-Brexit food export rules cost exporters around £3m a year, with France the sector’s biggest customer. The sector sold £844m worth of farmed salmon overseas last year, with £462m sent to France alone.
Tavish Scott, the chief executive of Salmon Scotland and former leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, is at a reception to celebrate the deal in London later. He said:
We congratulate the UK government on securing this deal with the EU, which will slash red tape and speed up the delivery of our premium salmon to market.
This breakthrough eases the burden on our farmers, processors and the communities they support, and we welcome efforts to implement it at pace. The withdrawal of physical checks is particularly welcome. It means lower costs and quicker deliveries for our customers.
Boris Johnson denounces deal with EU, calling Starmer ‘orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels’
The final question at the press conference was about Boris Johnson’s response to the deal. Kemi Badenoch said Johnson uses language to get attention, but she did not express a view on his language.
The question referred to this social media post, in which Johnson echoed his fellow Tory and former Telegraph colleague Daniel Hannan (see 2.51pm) in resorting to BDSM imagery to denounce Keir Starmer. Johnson said:
Two-tier Keir is once again going back on his promises to the people of this country – by making us non-voting members of a two-tier European Union …
Two-tier Keir is the orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels. He has sacrificed UK fishing interests, handing over our seas to be plundered again – when under the current Brexit agreement we are on the point of taking back full legal control, next year, of every fish in our waters …
This deal is hopelessly one sided. It combines the vassalage of Chequers with the surrenderism of Chagos. Starmer promised at the election that he would not go back on Brexit. He has broken that promise as he broke his promise on tax.
Commenting on the Johnson comment, which is now the lead headline on the Telegraph’s website, Robert Shrimsley posted this on Bluesky.
Entirely predictable reaction from Britain’s maga media. But makes you think, if they were going to react like this anyway what was the cost to Starmer of going bigger.
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