David Phinnemore

‘The only idea around’: will Labour return to a customs union with the EU? The desperate search for economic growth is pushing the party to confront the issue that dare not speak its name

“I would strongly contest whether rejoining the customs union would either be quick or straightforward,” one cabinet source said.’

Wise source

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

EU demands no cap on youth mobility scheme with UK Draft text also calls for ‘home’ fees for European students at UK universities

‘UK argues… Brussels is… reopening a debate… at which it was agreed to limit numbers…

‘EU diplomat.. perception among [EU27].. the UK… taking a “hyper-transactional” and “penny-pinching” approach might “demotivate” Brussels to deliver on other areas of British interest’

www.ft.com/content/773b...

Will the UK and EU choose to be partners or rivals? From defence collaboration to energy, the bloc is struggling to decide how to view its former member

“the question boils down to whether the need for common action to confront shared threats overrides protectionist impulses. Security threats… push us towards the former. Economic self-interest and the logic of national politics imply the latter” - @anandmenon@bsky.social

www.ft.com/content/0e5e...

Starmer rules out rejoining EU customs union but steps up ‘reset’ efforts UK prime minister has given two speeches this week promising closer ties with Brussels

'Starmer’s allies are concerned that speculation about Britain rejoining the customs union is not only erroneous but would mean giving up recent UK trade deals. There is also concern the idea will be opposed in Brussels. “Would the EU even accept us?” said one.'

www.ft.com/content/963f...

Brexit Britain is flirting with the EU again — but Brussels is pretty busy British ministers now openly talk about the economic effects of a “chaotic Brexit.” But there’s no easy lever for them to pull.

“European leaders are already grappling with packed in-trays… and skepticism remains as to how much room for maneuver [Starmer] actually has.

“Starmer’s political red lines — no customs union, no single market, and no return to freedom of movement — remain in place”

www.politico.eu/article/brex...

EU-UK Specialised Committee on Implementation of Windsor Framework met today

Statement includes positives on progress being made ... still issues to be addressed

Frequency of SPS identity checks being reduced

AI and Cyber Resilience Acts to apply in NI? TBD

commission.europa.eu/document/dow...

Keir Starmer’s European opportunity Why government insiders are urging the Prime Minister to embrace a customs union with the EU

"Backing a customs union would represent an explicit manifesto breach... and would also risk damaging relations with Donald Trump... Yet the longer Starmer’s woes persist, the more voices will urge him, as in 2018, to tear up the script."

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

UK aims to secure agreement to rejoin Erasmus student exchange scheme Britain quit EU programme after Brexit, when Boris Johnson claimed it did not offer good value for money

"Negotiators are aiming to finalise a deal by January that would allow the UK to participate in Erasmus from 2027 onwards, according to two UK and EU officials."

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework next meets on 3 December 2025

Agenda as for October meeting, so still exchanging views on whether (and, if so, to what extent) EU's AI Act and Cyber Resilience Act should apply in Northern Ireland

www.gov.uk/government/p...

On the Windsor Framework and the NI Assembly's 2024 Democratic Consent vote...

With @politicalquarterly.bsky.social

Open access via:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Budget 2025: NI businesses to get £16m in post-Brexit trade support The chancellor will announce the package when she reveals the details of the Budget on Wednesday.

'The government has said the financial package.... will provide a "single point of contact" to solve disputes and guide businesses on trading in NI.'

Follows reports and recommendations on Windsor Framework from Lord Murphy and from Independent Monitoring Panel.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly held its 6th meeting this week.

The recommendation agreed 👇

www.parliament.uk/globalassets...

Brussels slashes €6.7bn price tag for UK to join EU defence fund European Commission cuts cost by two-thirds to €2bn but figure is still far above the €75mn Britain has offered

‘Under current rules, EU countries can spend up to 35 per cent of the rearmament fund with UK defence companies. If the UK joins Safe, this could rise as high as 50 per cent, but Brussels has said the UK’s contribution needs to reflect the benefits to British industry.’

www.ft.com/content/ba88...

UK and EU hit impasse in defense deal talks The EU wants London to pay between €4.5 billion and €6.5 billion to take part in SAFE, while the U.K. has offered €200 million to €300 million.

“Major differences remain between the two sides over the level of financial contributions the U.K. would need to make and the minimum mandatory share of components produced inside the EU, with senior British figures signaling they would not seek entry at any price.”
www.politico.eu/article/uk-a...

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Nothing like a communiqué being issued promptly!

Surely worth the wait…

and you can start reliving that trauma tomorrow by joining @instituteforgovernment.org.uk and @ukandeu.bsky.social to discuss tomorrow evening - sign up here. In person or online www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/six-mo...

Brexit reset gives Brussels and London a chance to squabble about cash … again Rows over cash payments are already holding up negotiations, as deadlines loom.

‘Negotiations are finally underway for Keir Starmer's much-hyped Brexit reset. Expect to relive some trauma’
www.politico.eu/article/brex...

EU(27) today welcomed agreement on mandates for negotiations on SPS and ETS agreements with the UK

With a reminder: ‘as a matter of principle… relations can only be strengthened based on a full, faithful and timely implementation of existing agreements’
www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/...

Late addition to today's ECOFIN Council.

It could have been left to General Affairs Council next week which is 'taking stock' of the state of play in EU-UK relations

www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

EU regional/structural policies 👇

UK scores Brexit win as EU fast-tracks electricity trading talks The breakthrough comes after days of wrangling in Brussels over the extent to which London might be expected to pay for access to the EU’s single market.

“member states… also approved mandates for talks on an agri-food deal to ease cross-Channel trade frictions, and to link the EU and U.K. emissions trading systems.”

On whether the UK should contribute financially to…
www.politico.eu/article/uk-s...

Brussels deadlocked over how to handle Brexit Britain Talks will continue into Wednesday as member states remain divided over the question of U.K. payments into EU budget funds.

“So far, Starmer's reset has had plenty of warm words. Converting those into legal texts was always going to be the hard part.”
www.politico.eu/article/uk-p...

The sleeping dog of UK-EU finances - UK in a changing Europe Simon Usherwood explains financial flows between the UK and the EU since the UK's withdrawal and how they may be affected by the UK-EU reset.

“Whether this government, or its successors, will be better able to communicate the value of… financial flows [to the EU] remains to be seen, but as long as it lacks a strong overall narrative for its EU policy this seems less than likely” - @simonusherwood.bsky.social

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-sleeping...

EU(27) moving towards adoption of mandates for negotiations on SPS and ETS agreements with the UK.

data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document...

“The overall result for the six month period is that 96% of the value of goods moved under freight did so within the Internal Market system. The UK Government’s Internal Market Guarantee of 80% has therefore been met for this period.’

Caveats and recommendations

www.gov.uk/government/p...

“say the UK should make such payments just as countries with closer EU economic ties such as Norway and Switzerland do…

But a handful led by Germany and the Netherlands have argued against…

“Member state ambassadors will meet on Tuesday to try to thrash out a solution.”

Von der Leyen dodged Starmer request for meeting on EU money demands European Commission president had ‘scheduling’ issues at COP30 summit in Brazil and did not meet the UK premier

“Member states on Friday postponed signing off their mandate for [an SPS] deal and for the terms of the UK’s re entry to the single energy market...

“The delay was caused by divisions over whether the UK should pay into the EU’s regional funds…

“A majority…

www.ft.com/content/03ef...

Could do with sight of the proposed 'joint statements'

Do we know that the EU(27) are demanding contributions to regional funds?

Commission's proposal for negotiating mandate made no mention of it