Brexit

The European Union’s plan to hike tariffs on steel imported over and above its annual threshold could tip the United Kingdom’s steel industry into its worst crisis in history, industry leaders have warned.

On Tuesday, the European Commission proposed that the 27-member bloc would slash its tariff-free steel import quota by 47 percent to 18.3 million tonnes and would impose a tariff of 50 percent on any steel imported in excess of this amount.

This represents a sharp hike: The EU’s current annual steel import quota stands at 33 million tonnes, and imports above this limit are subject to a 25 percent tariff.

The announcement has rattled the British steel industry, which exports nearly 80 percent of its steel to the EU.

“This is perhaps the biggest crisis the UK steel industry has ever faced,” Gareth Stace, director general of the lobby group UK Steel, said on Tuesday. He described the move as a “disaster” for British steel.

Community, a trade union representing UK steelworkers, said the EU’s proposal represents an “existential threat” to the UK steel industry.

Here’s what we know about the EU’s new levies and why the UK is worried:

Why has the EU announced a tariff hike for steel imports?

The new tariff is expected to come into effect from June 2026, as long as EU countries and the European Parliament approve it.

The EU says it has no choice but to bring in the new tariff as it seeks to protect its own markets from a flood of subsidised Asian steel, which has been diverted by US President Donald Trump’s latest 50 percent tariff on all steel imports to the US.

The EU also wants to protect its steel sector from the challenge of global overcapacity.

In a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maros Sefcovic, defended the bloc’s steel tariffs proposal as a move to “protect the bloc’s vital sector” whose steel trade balance has “deteriorated dramatically”.

Sefcovic added that more than 30,000 jobs have been lost since 2018 in the EU’s steel industry, which employs about 300,000 people overall.

While the industry is ailing, he said, other countries have begun imposing tariffs and other safeguards to ensure their own domestic steel industries expand. The Commission’s proposal, therefore, seeks to “restore balance to the EU steel market”.

More succinctly, a senior EU official told The Times newspaper: “My dear UK friends, you have to understand that we have no choice but to limit the total volumes of imports that come into the EU, so this is the logic that we apply clearly. Not acting could result in potentially fatal effects for us.”

The EC’s proposal comes as the bloc’s steel sector faces stiff competition from countries like China, where steel production is heavily subsidised.

China produced more than a billion metric tonnes of steel last year, followed by India, at 149 million metric tonnes, and Japan, at 84 million metric tonnes, according to the World Steel Association, a nonprofit organisation with headquarters in Brussels.

By comparison, said Sefcovic, the EU produces 126 million tonnes per year but only requires 67 percent of this for its own use – “well below the healthy 80 percent benchmark and below profitable levels”.

Moreover, steel production within the EU has declined by 65 million tonnes per year since 2007 – with nearly half of that lost since 2018.

“A strong, decarbonised steel sector is vital for the European Union’s competitiveness, economic security and strategic autonomy. Global overcapacity is damaging our industry,” EC President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The Commission’s industry chief, Stephane Sejourne, told reporters in Strasbourg that “the European steel industry was on the verge of collapse” and said that through the tariffs plan, the Commission is “protecting it [EU’s steel industry] so that it can invest, decarbonise and become competitive again”.

Sejourne added that the Commission’s plan is “in line with our [EU] values and international law”.

Why would the UK bear the brunt of EU steel tariffs?

The EU is the UK’s largest market for steel exports by far. In 2024, the UK exported 1.9 million metric tonnes of steel, worth about 3 billion pounds ($4.02bn) and representing 78 percent of its home-made steel products to the EU.

While the EC’s steel tariffs proposal does not apply to members of the European Economic Area, namely Norway and Iceland, it will apply to the UK and Switzerland. Ukraine will also be exempt from the tariff quota since it is facing “an exceptional and immediate security situation”, according to the EC.

The EU says it is open to negotiations with the UK once it has formally notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of the new levy. For now, however, uncertainty looms.

Compounding this, the UK also fears being flooded by cheaper, subsidised steel from Asia as both the EU and US markets close their doors to it.

In a statement, UK Steel added: “The potential for millions of tonnes that will be barred from the EU market, to be redirected towards the UK is another existential threat.”

Nicolai von Ondarza, an associate fellow at Chatham House, the London-based policy institute, told Al Jazeera that cheap steel diverted by the EU’s planned tariffs will mostly come from countries like China, “putting additional pressure on its industry”.

The British steel sector is also shouldering Trump’s 25 percent tariff on British steel imports, a global supply glut, and higher energy prices, and has been embattled by job losses in some of its biggest steelworks due to green transition initiatives.

Can the UK negotiate its way out of this?

That is currently its best hope, according to industry leaders.

“We would urge the UK and EU to begin urgent negotiations and do everything possible to prevent the crushing impact these proposals would have on our steel industry,” he added.

Chatham House’s Ondarza told Al Jazeera: “For the UK, the first route is to try to negotiate a carve-out of these EU tariffs. Both the EC and the UK have already signalled willingness to talk. These negotiations are likely to be tricky, but not unlikely that they come to an agreement.”

On his way for a two-day business trip to India, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters that his country is “in discussions with the EU” about the proposal.

“I’ll be able to tell you more in due course, but we are in discussions, as you’d expect,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chris McDonald, the UK industry minister, has suggested that retaliatory measures may not be completely off the table.

“We continue to explore stronger trade measures to protect UK steel producers from unfair behaviours,” he told reporters.

If the US caused this, can it help to solve it?

While the EU’s tariffs proposal has led to an outcry in the UK, it is also a measure which seeks to bring the US to the negotiating table, the EC says.

In August, the EU and US agreed a trade deal under which Washington will levy 15 percent tariffs on 70 percent of Europe’s exports to the country. Brussels and Washington have yet to discuss how tariffs would apply to European steel, which still faces a 50 percent tariff under Trump’s new trade regime.

Sefcovic told reporters the Commission’s steel tariffs proposal would be a good foundation to engage with the US and also fight the challenge of overcapacity as “like-minded partners”.

Tesco Mobile, EE, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, O2 and Three all have different policy when it comes to how much customers pay when using their mobiles in the EU post-Brexit

Tesco Mobile has extended its free-roaming policy so customers can use their minutes, texts and data for no extra cost when in Europe.

Since leaving the EU, people living in the UK have been excluded from the bloc’s 2022 Roaming Regulations, which ban mobile operators from charging customers extra when they travel into other EU countries with their phone.

While some providers have allowed their customers to keep the perk, others have started charging considerable sums. Today, Tesco Mobile announced that it will not charge its users extra for texts, calls, and data made across 48 EU destinations “into 2026 and beyond.” Until this point, Tesco Mobile had hinted that the perk would end at the beginning of next year.

Laura Joseph, chief customer officer at Tesco Mobile, said: “We know how important it is for families to stay connected—whether you’re sharing holiday snaps, checking in with loved ones, or finding your way around a new city. That’s why we’re proud to extend our roaming offer, giving customers the freedom to use their UK data, minutes, and texts across 48 destinations in the EU and beyond, at no extra cost. With no setup, no hidden fees, and no stress, it’s one less thing to worry about when you’re away.”

Here is a rundown of the other major mobile providers in the UK and how much they charge for roaming in EU countries.

Under EE you can use your minutes, texts and data allowances in its European roaming zone – which includes most countries on the Continent – for £2.50 a day (up until midnight UK-time). You don’t need to do anything to opt in. If you use your allowances you’ll pay £2.50 for that day, and if you don’t, you won’t be charged anything. You can also buy a £10 ‘roam home’ seven day package.

The phone company offers free data roaming in the EU, so your data (subject to roaming limit), minutes and text allowances will work in the Europe Zone, just like they do at home.

If your UK monthly data allowance is over 25GB, you’ll have a roaming limit of 25GB when roaming in the firm’s Europe Zone. This means you can use up to 25GB of your allowance at no extra cost. O2 sends customers a text if they’re getting close to the limit, and again if they reach it. Then they can buy a ‘bolt on’.

For Pay Monthly customers, it’s a daily charge of £7 per day for unlimited calls, texts and date. For Pay As You Go customers, it’s a daily charge of £1.99.

Those customers whose plans started on or after October 1, 2021 can unlock their data, call and text for a daily roaming charge. For Pay Monthly customers, roaming costs £2 a day in Europe and £5 a day in Go Roam Around the World destinations. The Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man are excluded from the daily roaming charge.

If you’re on a Three Your Way plan, it comes with up to 56 days of roaming included. If you run out – or you’re on a Standard plan – you can also buy three, seven, or 14-day Go Roam Passes. With a £5 a day Data Passport, you can get unlimited data to use when roaming.

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If your plan doesn’t have inclusive roaming in the firm’s Europe Zone – which includes all European countries other than Ireland, the Isle of Man, Iceland and Norway – then it will cost you £2.57 a day to roam. You can reduce this cost with a European Roaming pass, available as £15 for eight days or £20 for 15 days (a cost increase of roughly 25% in two years)

A day starts from the time when roaming is detected and lasts for 24 hours. For example, if roaming is detected at 10am, the daily roaming fee would be valid until 10am the next day. If you bought your plan before 11 August 2021, roaming is included up to 25GB of data usage.

‘Roam Like Home’ is available to all BT Mobile customers at no extra cost. It lets you to use your minutes, texts and data allowances within our Roam Like Home zones without paying extra roaming charges.

From 15 June 2017, if your plan gives you 20GB or more of data each month, a surcharge may be applied if you use more than 15GB, while roaming, in one billing cycle.

GiffGaff has one of the most generous policies out there. The company’s plans can be used in the EU and selected destinations just as customers would use them at home and at no extra cost. If you opt to pay as you go and use credit instead, data, calls and texts will be charged at the firm’s pay-as-you-go UK rates while you roam in the EU.

There’s a fair use limit on data of 5GB. If you go over it’ll cost 10p/MB, or you can start a new plan early which will give you another 5GB allowance.

The company has a roaming passport which costs £2 a day and lets you access your UK data, calls and text allowances in over 55 popular holiday destinations, including the EU, the USA and Australia and more.

A ROW erupted over the Tories’ record in power at a lavish event for allies of Donald Trump.

Ex-PM Boris Johnson “robustly defended” his time at No 10 during a debate on right-wing politics.

Words were exchanged after champagne and canapes at Tuesday night’s do, also attended by former PM Liz Truss and ex-ministers.

Mr Johnson came out fighting after a forceful intervention from broadcaster Andrew Neil, who questioned why the Tories did not do more to curb migration and boost defence spending.

A witness at the Peninsula Hotel in Mayfair, central London, said: “At that point Boris robustly defended his government’s record.

“Boris argued that Brexit gives us powers to reduce immigration if we wish and said he did reduce it.

“He also said we shouldn’t bash the contribution migrants make to Britain.”

Last month Boris was seen sporting a new bearded look in photos shared on Instagram by wife Carrie.

The couple were seen holidaying on the Greek island of Euboea with children Wilfred, 5, Romy, 3, Frank, 2, and baby Poppy.

The heartwarming images of the family holiday were captioned: “Our favourite place GR.”

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REFORM UK would win a 400 seat landslide if an election were held today, according to a new poll.

Nigel Farage is 15 points ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Government, as reported by The i Paper.

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Only 20 per cent of voters now say they would vote for Labour – whereas 35 per cent would cast their ballot for Reform.

The poll results mean Farage would win a general election with 400 seats if one was held today.

These figures have been dubbed as “catastrophic” for the PM’s party, as they continue to face backlash over the migrant crisis.

This issue was also reflected in the poll, with 41 per cent of applicants confessing they believe Farage could solve the problem – as opposed to 14 per cent who trust Starmer.

Meanwhile the Tories also trailed behind in the poll, with Kemi Badenoch only gaining 17 per cent of votes.

And, her party ranked last when it came to faith in battling the small boat crisis – with just 8 per cent admitting they believe she could put an end to it.

The poll was conducted this week, as Farage continues to unveil mass deportation plans.

It turns out nearly 40 per cent of Brits thought his ideas were possible.

The Reform UK leader vowed to deport 600,000 illegal migrants in his first term in office – in a crackdown he claims will save taxpayers billions.

The party boss said the public mood over Channel crossings was “a mix between total despair and rising anger”, warning of a “genuine threat to public order” unless Britain acts fast.

Reform’s plan centres on a new Illegal Migration (Mass Deportation) Bill, which would make it the Home Secretary’s legal duty to remove anyone who arrives unlawfully, and strip courts and judges of the power to block flights. 

Britain would quit the European Convention on Human Rights, scrap the Human Rights Act and suspend the Refugee Convention for five years.

Reform would also make re-entry after deportation a crime carrying up to five years in jail, enforce a lifetime ban on returning, and make tearing up ID papers punishable by the same penalty.

The scheme would also see prefab detention camps built on surplus RAF and MoD land, holding up to 24,000 people within 18 months. 

Inmates would be housed in two-man blocks with food halls and medical suites – and would not be allowed out.

Five deportation flights would take off every day, with RAF planes on standby if charter jets were blocked.

The poll this week echos those conducted by YouGov, in which Reform was still 8 points ahead of Labour.

And, 37 per cent of voters say they are satisfied with how Farage is leading the party.

However, 60 per cent are unhappy with Sir Keir Starmer’s performance.

Robert Struthers, head of polling at BMG, said: “Nigel Farage’s net rating of +5 may not appear remarkable on its own, but it contrasts sharply with Keir Starmer’s figures which have dropped to a new low at -41. He’s now as unpopular as Sunak was before the election last year.

“The next election may still be some way off, but there’s no doubt these numbers are catastrophic for Labour. Unless things change, pressure for a shift in strategy and even Prime Minister will only intensify.”

Jack Curry, pollster at BMG added: “There is a striking consensus among the British public when it comes to the issue of small boats. The public sees no real difference between the current Labour Government and the previous Conservative government. Both are viewed as equally ineffective.

“That frustration is clearly fuelling support for Reform. When it comes to what people actually want done, the mood music is for a tougher approach. There’s strong support for protectionist measures like more border enforcement, stricter penalties and offshore processing. That’s especially true among Reform and Conservative voters.”

It comes as a ruling to boot migrants out of an Epping hotel was overturned by the Court of Appeal on Friday.

The Bell Hotel, in Essex, has been surrounded by controversy after two of its guests were charged with sexual offences.

Epping Forest District Council last week won a bid at the High Court to block migrants from being housed at the hotel.

The temporary injunction meant that the building had to be cleared of its occupants by September 12.

It also caused a ripple effect across the UK as more councils launched their own bids to boot migrants out of hotels in their towns.

But the Court of Appeal on Friday overturned the injunction following an appeal by the Home Office and hotel owners Somani – meaning the migrants can stay where they are for now.

It also gave permission for the Home Office to appeal against Mr Justice Eyre’s ruling not to let it intervene in the case as their involvement was “not necessary”.

It came after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a last-ditch bid to join the battle.

But, more than a dozen councils are still poised to take legal action to shut asylum hotels.

These include at least four Labour-run authorities, such as Wirral, Stevenage, Tamworth and Rushmoor councils.

A full hearing is scheduled for October to conclude whether the council’s claim that the use of the Bell Hotel to house asylum seekers breached planning rules.

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Plans for Nigel

IN typically ferocious style, Nigel Farage yesterday laid down the gauntlet to Labour on immigration.

How the Government responds may well end up deciding whether it wins a second term.

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Farage speaks ordinary Brits’ language and understands their “total despair”.

His cure for the crisis was plenty of harsh medicine:

1. Deportation flights starting immediately and ultimately booting out up to 600,000 illegals.

2. Bringing back Rwanda-style deals with third countries — the only proper deterrent to the small boats we ever had, and foolishly scrapped by Labour.

3. Ripping up European human rights laws and quitting the ECHR, which will also go down well with voters.

Labour will never do it and the Tories have dithered. But can Farage actually deliver it?

How will he achieve returns deals with rogue and failed states such as Iran and Afghanistan?

Many Brits will be wary of his idea of giving taxpayers’ cash to the vile Taliban regime.

The Tories tried for years to bring in a British Bill of Rights and failed.

Where does Northern Ireland and the complicated rules around the Good Friday Agreement fit in?

If he wants to be Prime Minister, Farage will have to provide some serious answers.

In dole-drums

A STAGGERING 6.5million people are now jobless and on benefits.

That’s up 500,000 in just a year since Labour took office.

Numbers of working-age adults on welfare payments have now risen by 79 per cent since 2018.

Unemployment — made worse by the “Jobs Tax Budget” is now on course to be its highest since the Covid pandemic.

Soaring welfare payments are not only totally unaffordable and a drag on growth, it is also morally wrong to demand working people bail out those who cannot or will not work.

Having ditched its modest welfare reforms — and with the Government now paying a “moron premium” on the UK’s debt mountain — what is the plan?

Unsafeguard

VICTIMS of domestic abuse are regularly failed by the system.

More than 100 women a year in England and Wales alone are murdered by current or former partners.

Many were let down by the DASH questionnaire used by police, social services and healthcare workers as an initial assessment of danger.

Minister Jess Phillips says it doesn’t work and is working out how to replace it.

That cannot come soon enough for those suffering now.

But it’s tragically too late for those who have already lost their lives needlessly.

A RIGGING row has erupted after Labour rebuffed Nigel Farage’s demand for Reform representation in the House of Lords.

The Brexiteer has no peers in the upper chamber and asked Sir Keir Starmer to grant some.

He sent a letter to the PM — who has ultimate say over appointments — arguing the “seismic shifts” in British politics merits some Reform seats.

Although they have just four MPs, Mr Farage’s party is leading national opinion polls.

He has in the past called for the Lords to be replaced with an elected chamber akin to that in the US.

Mr Farage said: “Whilst Reform UK believes in a reformed House of Lords, the time has come to address the democratic disparity there.”

But Defence Secretary John Healey told LBC: “This is the same Nigel Farage that called for the abolition of the House of Lords and now wants to fill it with his cronies.

“I’m not sure Parliament is going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Farage.”

While PMs technically have the final say on House of Lords appointments, they grant opposition parties some peers.

When Sir Keir nominated 30 Labour lords in December, he allowed six Tories to be elevated to the upper legislature.

Hitting back at Mr Healey’s remarks, Reform deputy Richard Tice last night accused Labour of not playing fair.

Denying they were “Putin apologists”, he told The Sun: “It’s a democratic outrage and another old-fashioned establishment stitch-up. They are essentially rigging the system against the new party, changing the rules of the game.”

In his letter, Mr Farage noted Lib Dems have 76 peers but received 600,000 fewer votes than Reform last year.

Sir Keir previously pledged to abolish the Lords but he is not expected to carry out plans before the next election.

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EUROPE’S car industry is “heading at full speed against a wall” and risks collapsing if the EU doesn’t rethink its ban on new petrol and diesel cars, the boss of a huge car firm has warned.

In a stark intervention, he said a “reality check” was needed before the 2035 ban on combustion-engine sales is locked in.

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Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Källenius told German business paper Handelsblatt: “We need a reality check. Otherwise, we are heading at full speed against a wall.

“Of course, we have to decarbonise, but it has to be done in a technology-neutral way. We must not lose sight of our economy.”

The luxury brand — once gung-ho about going fully electric in Europe — has already dropped its ambitious 2021 pledge to stop selling combustion cars “where market conditions allow” by the decade’s end.

Källenius, who also heads the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), now warns the EU’s policy could trigger a last-minute rush for petrol and diesel cars before the cut-off, which “doesn’t help the climate at all.”

Electric cars remain far from dominating the market.

In the first half of this year, EVs made up just 17.5 per cent of sales across the EU, UK, and EFTA countries, while plug-in hybrids took 8.7 per cent.

Traditional hybrids accounted for 35 per cent, but that figure includes mild-hybrids, which critics say aren’t “true” hybrids.

Mercedes’ own figures show EV sales slipping — just 8.4 per cent of its global deliveries in the first six months of 2025, down from 9.7 per cent last year.

Even with plug-ins included, electrified models made up just 20.1 per cent of shipments.

The EU’s 2035 ban is due for review in the coming months, but Brussels has so far signalled no U-turn, reiterating in March its commitment to zero-emission new cars by the mid-2030s.

It comes as the boss of Stellantis — the giant behind 14 brands including Fiat, Peugeot, and Maserati — warned that unreachable EU CO2 targets could force plant closures.

Europe chief Jean-Philippe Imparato said the Franco-Italian group faces fines of up to €2.5 billion within “two-three years” if it fails to meet emissions rules.

Without a regulatory rethink by year-end, “we will have to make tough decisions,” he told a conference in Rome.

“I have two solutions: either I push like hell (on electric)… or I close down ICE (internal combustion engine vehicles).

And therefore I close down factories,” he said, pointing to the risk for sites such as Stellantis’ van plant in Atessa, Italy.

The warning comes amid fresh turmoil for Stellantis, with its new CEO Antonio Filosa inheriting the fallout from Donald Trump’s 25 per cent US import tariffs and a crisis at Maserati, which has seen sales plunge from 26,600 in 2023 to 11,300 last year.

With EV targets biting, petrol and diesel models under threat, and luxury brands cancelling investments — including Maserati’s £1.3bn electric MC20 Folgore — Europe’s car bosses are sending a clear signal to Brussels: ease off, or risk slamming the brakes on the continent’s auto industry.

Everything you need to know about electric cars

Because of Brexit, UK holidaymakers will soon need to pay to visit France, Spain, Italy and other EU countries

UK holidaymakers will soon need to pay for a permit to enter France, Spain, Italy and other countries, although the need to apply for an European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) has been postponed. As per the latest update, Brits heading to the EU won’t need an ETIAS until at least April 2027.

Earlier this year, the EU’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs said the ETIAS roll-out would likely begin in the final quarter of 2026. However, due to a grace period, UK travellers won’t be required to secure an ETIAS before jetting off to the EU until 2027.

The introduction of ETIAS is tied to the launch of the Entry/Exit System (EES). After numerous setbacks, the EU has agreed to gradually implement the EES from October this year.

READ MORE: EasyJet demands end to ‘very disruptive’ summer strike that impacts 70% of flightsREAD MORE: Foreign Office tells Brits to keep copies of essential travel documents at home

This staggered approach allows member states to slowly introduce the new border system over a six-month timeframe. If the EU decides to kickstart the EES in October 2025, member states will need to register ten per cent of travellers crossing the border after the first month.

For the initial 60 days, the system can function without biometric features. However, by January 2026, all member states should have the EES operating with biometric capabilities, and by April 2026, the EES roll-out should be fully operational.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system designed to register non-EU nationals travelling for short stays each time they cross the borders of various European countries including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

READ MORE: ‘Beautiful’ UK beach is a ‘true gem’ and ‘feels like Spain’READ MORE: UK airports hike ‘kiss and fly’ fees while most EU airports don’t charge at all

If you’re journeying to a Schengen area country using a UK passport, you’ll need to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints or a photo, upon arrival. This EES registration will supersede the current practice of manually stamping passports when visitors enter the EU.

Once the EES is fully up and running, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be rolled out. According to EU authorities, ETIAS will be launched six months after the EES, around October 2026.

There will be a transitional period and a grace period, each lasting six months, which means that ETIAS will become mandatory for most people in April 2027 and fully compulsory by October 2027. The ETIAS application fee is 7 euros per traveller aged 18-70, with people outside of this age bracket exempt.

ETIAS explained

The ETIAS travel authorisation is an entry requirement for nationals exempt from visas travelling to any of these 30 European countries. It is tied to a traveller’s passport.

It is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you need to get a new ETIAS travel authorisation.

With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, you can frequently enter these European countries for short-term stays – typically up to 90 days within any 180-day period. However, it doesn’t assure entry, as you’ll also need a valid passport, among other requirements.

The United Kingdom and France are close to a new agreement aimed at preventing tens of thousands of migrants from crossing the English Channel from France in small boats, UK media reported on Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in London on Tuesday for a three-day visit, marking the first state visit by a European leader since Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Here is all we know about the “one-in-one-out” migrant deal being discussed during a bilateral summit between Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London.

What’s in the deal Macron and Starmer are discussing?

The deal is aimed at deterring migrants from making dangerous trips across the English Channel from France to the UK in small boats. This year so far, more than 20,000 people have undertaken this journey.

At the start of the summit with Macron on Thursday, Starmer said the two must “apply our collective strength and leadership” to the challenges of undocumented migration.

“We all agree that the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is so we’re bringing new tactics into play and a new intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs.”

Many migrants without visas or permits departing France by sea attempt to cross to the UK in small, inflatable boats. They frequently pay large sums of money to gangs who arrange the boats in northern France. Journeys can be incredibly dangerous and people have died making the crossing.

Under a new agreement, France would agree to take back asylum seekers who have crossed over to the UK and who cannot prove a family connection to the UK. For each migrant France takes back, the UK would grant asylum to one migrant from France who can prove a family connection to the UK.

During the initial stages of the agreement, details of which were reported by French newspaper Le Monde, the UK would initially send about 50 migrants to France per week. Le Monde also reported that the UK would only be able to return 2,600 migrants in a single year.

The UK press quoted a government source on Thursday that plans would be scaled up if the initial scheme is successful.

Who is to blame for the influx of people by boat to the UK?

Both France and the UK have laid the blame on each other.

One of France’s main criticisms of the UK is that it attracts migrants without visas because UK laws are too lenient or not adequately enforced. In his speech to Parliament during his state visit on Tuesday, Macron said that one-third of all migrants arriving in France intend to move on to the UK.

During negotiations with the UK 18 months ago when he was interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, France’s current justice minister, said: “Britain must do something to make itself less attractive and change the rules of their labour market because you can work without papers in the UK,” he said.

The UK disputes this, saying people are drawn to it because of family or diaspora ties, as well as many being able to speak English. Instead, some politicians in the UK have blamed France for not policing its northern shores enough. However, Starmer is also expected to unveil new plans to crack down harder on illegal work in the UK.

France, in turn, says it is making huge efforts to deter migrant departures from northern beaches and to take action against people-smuggling gangs.

Why is this agreement being discussed now?

The deal is being discussed because of the rising number of unauthorised migrants arriving from France to the UK, Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, told Al Jazeera.

Just one year since Starmer’s Labour party won a landslide election, the prime minister’s popularity has tanked in the UK – in large part because of the failure to stop undocumented migration – while support for the far-right, anti-migration Reform UK party has soared.

In particular, Reform’s manifesto pledges to clamp down on migrants coming to the UK in small boats. It states: “Illegal migrants who come to the UK will be detained and deported. And if needed, migrants in small boats will be picked up and taken back to France.”

The Conservative Party, which was in power before Starmer won last year’s general election, pledged to impose a binding cap for legal migration and to deport asylum seekers who arrive by irregular means to Rwanda for processing and potential resettlement. Labour scrapped this plan as soon as it came to power.

As of July 7, immigration and asylum stand as the most significant issue in the UK, at 51 percent, according to polling by YouGov.

According to commentary in UK media, Starmer’s meeting with Macron also holds symbolic significance, as it allows the British PM to show that he has been able to maintain a good relationship with his main European partners since he negotiated a “reset” trade deal with the EU in May.

How many people cross the English Channel in small boats each year?

This year, 21,117 people crossed the English Channel from France to the UK in small boats as of July 6, according to UK government data. This was a 56 percent increase in the number of people crossing in small boats during the same period in 2024.

In the whole of 2024, nearly 37,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats, bringing the weekly average to about 700 arrivals.

In the past year, 73 people have died trying to cross the English Channel, the highest number recorded in one year so far, according to data by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an intergovernmental organisation within the United Nations.

Small boat arrivals made up one-third of all asylum applications in 2024, according to an analysis by the Migration Observatory based on statistics from the UK Home Office.

Why do so many people make this risky crossing?

Walsh told Al Jazeera that people take the risk to cross the Channel for a wide range of reasons. “One is the presence of family members, friends, and members of their community already in the UK,” he said.

He explained that because the UK is no longer part of the EU following Brexit, it does not have access to the bloc’s asylum fingerprint database any more. Therefore, British authorities cannot know if people who arrive in small boats have already claimed asylum in an EU country.

“If it did, the UK would be able to dismiss the claims,” he said. “The UK is also no longer a part of the Dublin system that would allow for such asylum claimants to be returned to the EU. Migrants understand this, so view reaching the UK as giving them another chance at securing residence in the UK.”

The Dublin regulation – the framework for the EU’s rules on asylum seekers – establishes the criteria that determine which EU member state is responsible for examining asylum applications submitted by someone who is originally from a third country.

Between 2018 and 2024, 68 percent of asylum applications from migrants who arrived in small boats were granted in the UK. This was higher than the grant rate for asylum applications generally, which was 57 percent for the same duration. This may be another reason people are attracted to the UK, experts say.

What steps have France and the UK taken to stop boats crossing the English Channel?

In March 2023, the UK, under former Conservative PM Rishi Sunak, signed a three-year deal with France, under which the UK agreed to pay France 480 million pounds ($650m) to tighten its border patrols and surveillance.

Under this deal, France agreed to deploy 500 officers and provide a new detention centre in France, which would be operational by the end of 2026. France also agreed to increase funding for stricter enforcement, without specifying the amount of money.

Separately, in June this year, France agreed to come up with a plan to intercept small boats heading to the UK, for the first time, expanding its navy with six patrol boats that will rescue migrants but also intercept them from heading to the UK.

Paris has agreed to do this for boats which are within 300 metres (1,000ft) from the French shore, and has asked the UK for extra funding to fund the police and equipment to enforce these interceptions, according to UK media.

French police have recently taken to damaging the small boats, slashing their rubber frames with knives. The French Interior Ministry told The Associated Press that the police had not been ordered to do this, however.

What are the criticisms of the new deal under discussion?

Since an average of 700 migrants enter the UK by small boat each week, if the UK government sends an average of 50 people back to France per week, that would amount to just one in 14 being returned.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp of the opposition Conservative Party told The Times newspaper: “This deal will mean that 94 percent of illegal migrants crossing the Channel will get to stay. That is pathetic and will not deter anyone. By contrast, the Rwanda deterrent would have seen 100 percent of illegal migrants removed and that would have worked to deter people crossing the Channel. Keir Starmer’s failure continues.”

The plan could potentially face a legal challenge under the UN Refugee Convention, which mandates asylum seekers’ rights to request protection.

French officials are also critical of the deal, cautious it could result in France becoming a “return hub” for migrants that the UK refuses to accept. “We are putting ourselves into the hands of the British without minimal reciprocal elements,” an unnamed French official involved in the talks told Le Monde.

The policy could also provide ammunition against Macron for his right-wing political critics, who may question why he has agreed to take back migrants wanting to live in Britain.

The UK is not subject to the EU’s Dublin regulations, while France is. This makes the status of migrants returning from Britain to France unclear, causing concern among other European nations, who are upset with France for bilaterally negotiating the deal without consulting the EU.

“Why should other Europeans be obliged to take these returns under EU, Dublin rules when they result from French obligation under a bilateral deal with the UK, a non-EU member, that France negotiated without asking us?” The Times quoted an unnamed EU diplomat as saying on Thursday.

A deal is also opposed by the southern European countries of Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain, who have been receiving unauthorised migrants at an increasing rate, the Financial Times reported. These countries are concerned that if migrants are sent back to France from the UK, they may try to enter southern Europe from France instead.

As the 2000s came to a close, the immigrant population multiplied by more than fivefold in Spain, Italy and Greece, according to a 2016 research article written by scholars from the University of Liege in Belgium.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said on Wednesday during Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament that the UK must refuse to accept “undocumented males” coming in small boats as part of a deal with France. Farage said Starmer should not bow to an “increasingly arrogant, anti-Brexit French president”. Starmer responded, saying Farage’s approach is to “break everything and claim that’s how you fix things”.

Weighing the viability of an agreement between Paris and London, Walsh said: “A returns deal may have an impact if it affects enough people. We don’t know how many people could plausibly be returned to France under this deal, but there’s a risk that if an insufficiently low share of individuals are returned, then people wishing to reach the UK by small boat may see the risk of return as another risk worth taking – alongside the much greater risk of getting in a small boat.”

The far-right, nationalist Reform UK party would be Britain’s largest political party if a general election were held now, a major new poll shows, putting its founder, Nigel Farage, on a potential course to become the country’s next prime minister.

Reform would win 271 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, with the ruling Labour Party second at 178 seats, polling firm YouGov said on June 26. That would leave a hung parliament, with one party only able to form a government in coalition with another.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s popularity has tanked since last year’s landslide general election victory, owing to a challenging global backdrop, slow economic growth and a series of embarrassing policy U-turns on welfare reform.

Last week’s census was YouGov’s first “mega-poll” since Labour came to power. As well as showing the rapid rise in popularity of Reform and the reversal of favour for Labour, it also shows a collapse in support for the formerly ruling Conservative Party.

The Conservative Party, which suffered its worst ever general election loss last July, would win just 46 seats in an election, down from 120, leaving the party in fourth place behind the Liberal Democrats, YouGov said.

The Greens, meanwhile, would win 11 percent of the vote, picking up several new seats to hold seven altogether. In Scotland, the SNP would return to dominance, gaining 29 seats to win 38 overall.

The next election is not expected until 2029.

Why has Reform surged in popularity?

Founded as the Brexit Party in 2018 to advocate for a hard “no-deal Brexit” – the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union – and written off in its early years as a one-issue party solely concerned with immigration, Reform UK has emerged as a group that could seriously challenge the century-long dominance of Britain’s main political parties.

For his part, Farage has said that Reform’s political transformation is now complete. The party has offices in Westminster, close to the Houses of Parliament, and has attracted interest from new voters and wealthy donors alike.

To broaden its appeal, Reform dismissed members accused of racism and bullying and tried to distance the party from far-right movements in other European nations, such as France’s National Rally and Germany’s Alternative for Germany.

According to its latest party manifesto, Reform warned that net zero environmental policies were “crippling the [British] economy”. It promised to “scrap” green energy subsidies and start fast-tracking North Sea oil and gas licences.

Its main pledges remain centred around immigration, however. Reform has promised to stop small boats carrying undocumented migrants and refugees from crossing the English Channel and to freeze “non-essential” immigration. Most Brits now overwhelmingly believe that immigration is too high, according to research by YouGov.

At by-elections – votes held to fill vacancies in the House of Commons which arise between general elections – in May, Reform narrowly beat Labour in the seat of Runcorn and Helsby in northwest England, and secured a string of victories over the Conservatives in rural English counties.

Why has the Conservative Party fallen in popularity?

In part, because many of its members have defected to Reform.

Since last year’s punishing general election defeat for the Conservatives after 14 years in power, Reform has successfully poached at least 80 former candidates, donors and staff members from the traditional right-wing party, according to Reuters research.

One was Anne Marie Morris, who was reprimanded by then-Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017 for using a derogatory, racist term during a debate about Brexit. She is now set to head up Reform’s social care policy. Other high-profile Conservatives who have defected to Reform include Ann Widdecombe, Lee Anderson, Ross Thomson, Andrea Jenkyns and Marco Longhi.

Tory loyalists are taking note. The Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, Lord Houchen, recently told the BBC that his party would need to form a coalition with Reform at the next general election if it hopes to keep Labour out of government.

However, Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservatives, has ruled out a coalition with Farage’s party at the national level, arguing that Reform is seeking to destroy the Tories. A YouGov poll conducted in April showed that just 38 percent of Conservatives would be in favour of merging with Reform.

Why are people disaffected with Labour so soon after its election victory?

In addition to Reform’s recent wins, Farage has been buoyed by a challenging political and economic landscape inherited by Labour from the Conservatives. Starmer is grappling with a low-growth economy accompanied by pronounced fiscal constraints – a deficit of nearly 5 percent of gross domestic product and a debt ratio close to 100 percent. It is also charged with rescuing a failing National Health Service (NHS).

Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump upended decades of global trade policy on April 2 – a date he refers to as “liberation day” – when he announced sweeping tariffs on the US’s trading partners, including the UK. Trump later paused those duties for 90 days, however, that deadline is due to run out next week.

Though the UK has since secured the first trade agreement with the US, it maintains a 10 percent tariff on most UK exports – something Starmer was forced to swallow to get a trade deal done. Other countries have until next week to strike similar deals. Trump’s stop-start tariff war, in turn, has slowed global growth.

Labour had already straitjacketed its investment plans before Trump assumed office, however. As a result of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s self-imposed fiscal rules, the Treasury had been considering spending cuts prior to its latest budget announcement in March.

Starmer unveiled sweeping welfare reforms, including tightening the eligibility for personal independence payments (PIP) – a type of disability and illness benefit – to get people back to work and save the government 5 billion to 6 billion pounds ($6.8bn to $8.2bn) per year.

On July 1, however, he drastically watered down the UK’s controversial welfare reform bill in an attempt to fend off a full-scale Labour rebellion in the House of Commons, leaving him with a multibillion-pound hole in the UK’s public finances and a bruised public image.

That came on top of another policy U-turn on June 9, when the government announced it had reversed a motion to scrap a winter fuel benefit for millions of pensioners following widespread criticism, including from its own MPs.

Weeks of ructions recently led John McDonnell, the former shadow treasury secretary, to write in The Guardian newspaper that “a party this dysfunctional and divided cannot escape the wrath of voters at the next election”.

Would Reform really come to power in the UK in a general election?

Reform UK’s surge in the polls stems from a deep disillusionment with Britain’s mainstream political parties, which have shared power for more than a century, experts say.

However, question marks remain over Reform’s ability to govern as its policies are lacking in detail, observers say. For instance, the party’s manifesto claims it would “pick up illegal migrants out of boats and take them back to France”. But it doesn’t explain how it would persuade France to accept them back.

Tony Travers, professor in the government department at the London School of Economics, said the efficacy of these policies is, therefore, “unknowable”.

“On the one hand, these ideas would rely on the consent of French authorities. On the other, they’re also conceding that some immigration is necessary,” Travers told Al Jazeera, referring to Reform’s proposal to make concessions for healthcare workers in its proposed ban on “non-essential” immigration.

“Until recently [May], Reform had the enormous advantage of not being tested in office. Looking ahead, they will be judged on how they’ve done in government,” he said.

“It’s much easier to be in opposition than in government,” as the “nightmare challenges facing Keir Starmer won’t go away”, he added.

“If Reform win the next general election, they will have to try and fix an ailing NHS, railways, prison and education systems, all with less money than they’d like.”

Ultimately, Travers said, Reform UK’s continued performance in the polls will depend on Labour’s ability to tackle these issues.

REFORM was plunged into a chaotic civil war last night after its chairman Zia Yusuf announced he’s quitting the party.

Mr Yusuf announced on social media that after 11 months in the job “I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time”.

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Insiders said that the chairman had felt “shafted” into running the party’s DOGE efficiency unit, aimed at slashing waste in local authorities.

He also earlier on Thursday clashed with Reform’s newest MP, Sarah Pochin, over the idea of a burqa ban.

Mr Yusuf said: “Eleven months ago I became Chairman of Reform.

“I’ve worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30 per cent, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results.

“I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.”

Mr Yusuf was seen as a rising star in the party and close ally of Nigel Farage.

While not an MP, the entrepreneur fronted several of the parties press conferences.

He worked as chairman in a voluntary capacity.

Cracks in Mr Yusuf’s relationship with the wider Reform party started show months ago – but a major row over banning face coverings brought simmering tensions to boiling point.

Responding to Ms Pochin’s demand for a burqa ban, Mr Yusuf blasted: “Nothing to do with me.

“I do think it’s dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something party itself wouldn’t do.”

The comment contradicted strong statements in favour of a ban from Deputy Leader Richard Tice and whip Lee Anderson.

Reform is riding high in the polls but behind the scenes, it’s been no stranger to bloodletting.

Earlier this year, a brutal row saw MP Rupert Lowe suspended after Mr Yusuf reported him to police for alleged threats and bullying – claims later dropped by prosecutors.

Mr Lowe denied everything, accused party bosses of smearing him with “vexatious” claims, and said Mr Farage had stabbed him in the back for daring to push internal reforms.

Ben Habib, former deputy leader, backed him and blasted Mr Yusuf’s handling of the row, accusing Mr Farage of running Reform like a dictatorship.

The chairman’s resignation is just the latest bust-up in a long line of power struggles under Mr Farage’s watch, echoing the UKIP years when infighting over Islam, immigration and leadership led to splinter groups and walkouts.

This comes after Farage earlier this week blasted “net stupid zero” for obliterating the UK’s oil industry, ahead of a showdown Scottish by-election on tomorrow.

The Reform chief drew battle lines against the SNP as he warned Scotland is “literally de-industrialising before our eyes”.

In Aberdeen Mr Farage slammed the nats, led by First Minister John Swinney, for sacrificing an entire industry and thousands of jobs at the alter of green diktats.

He claimed neighbouring Norway is “laughing” as it watches ministers import Scandinavian fossil fuels while dismantling local industry.

Against the shouts of protesters, at a posh fish and chips restaurant the Reform leader said: “We can con ourselves as much as we like.

“There will be more coal burned this year than ever before in the history of human kind. The same applies to oil and gas.

“Even the most adren proponent of net zero has to accept the world will still be using oil and gas up until 2050 and beyond. 

“And yet we’ve decided to sacrifice this industry as a consensus around Net Zero has emerged.”

Mr Farage added that the fight to save oil and gas is “almost the next Brexit“.

He said: “Believe me, the scales are falling from the eyes of the public when it comes to Net Zero.

“They realise we are putting upon ourselves a massive cost, let alone the opportunity cost of what we’re missing…

“When we closed down refineries.. and steelworks… all we’re doing is exporting the emissions of CO2 with the goods then being shipped back to us.

“The public are waking up to this.”

It comes ahead of a Hoylrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on Thursday, described by Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice as an “absolute cat fight” with the SNP and Labour.

Mr Farage acknowledged it would be an “earthquake” level shock if Reform’s candidate wins the seat.

But activists have reported being surprised at levels of support on the doorstep.

Mr Farage insisted the Reform “can replicate success in Scotland”.

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Swathes of Brits have been stung by a post-Brexit passport rule that has sparked mass confusion – and resulted in passengers being denied boarding, despite having documentation that is still ‘in date’

Brits jetting off across Europe this summer risk being turned away at the gate – even if their passport is still ‘in-date’. Swathes of disgruntled passengers are still being caught out by a sneaky post-Brexit rule that could completely sabotage your next holiday. Even with soaring prices, it might be worth renewing your passport now – rather than risk being denied to fly at the airport.

According to reports, around half a dozen Brits were being turned away every single day at one UK airport due to the way the passport rules – which many feel are extremely unclear – were being applied. So, here’s everything you need to know about travelling across Europe this summer, and when you should renew your passport.

READ MORE: Spanish islands’ all-inclusive 6-drink cap and what it really means for tourists

“If you are a national from a country outside the EU wishing to visit or travel within the EU, you will need a valid passport and possibly a visa,” explains the European Union. “Your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU and it must have been issued within the last 10 years.”

To clarify, this means your passport must have been issued within the previous 10 years on the day that you enter an EU country. It must also be valid until the end of your stay, plus an additional three months.

However, one British artist was denied boarding by Norwegian airlines on March 23 as her passport was issued ‘more than nine years and nine months ago’. Her passport’s date of issue was June 13, 2015 – and it is due to expire in August – meaning she meets both criteria laid out by the EU.

“Upon arriving at check-in, the automated system directed me to the desk,” she said. “The staff member consulted a colleague, who stated my passport was invalid because it was issued more than nine years and nine months ago. But there is no such rule. This decision demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the actual entry requirements.”

The anonymous artist claims she lost around £700, and had to spend hundreds of pounds on an emergency passport renewal and replacement flight. According to the Guardian, The Copenhagen police department stood by its decision – and confirmed that once a passport is nine years and nine months old from the date of issue – it is invalid – as the Schengen does not recognise ‘extensions of 10-year-passports’.

Prior to October 2018, Brits renewing their passports could add up to nine extra months from their previous passport on to the expiry date. But post-Brexit, and EU countries are refusing to accept passports that have been issued more than 10 years ago altogether.

How much is a new passport?

Passport fees increased last month (April, 10) meaning a standard online application made from within the UK rose from £88.50 to £94.50 for adults and £57.50 to £61.50 for children. Postal applications also increased from £100 to £107 for adults and £69 to £74 for children.

According to GOV UK, the fee for a Premium Service (one day) application made from within in the UK is now £222 for adults and £189 for children, while overseas standard paper applications increased from £112.50 to £120.50 for adults and £77 to £82.50 for children.

“The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.,” the government added. “The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.”

Have you been stung by the passport change? Email [email protected] for a chance to share your story

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a “landmark deal” with the EU that lays the ground for closer collaboration with the bloc.

Nearly nine years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the new agreement includes a new security and defence pact, fewer restrictions on British food exporters and visitors, and a controversial new fishing agreement.

Britain said the reset with its biggest trading partner would reduce red tape for agricultural producers, making food cheaper. The deal would also improve energy security and, by 2040, add nearly 9 billion pounds ($12.1bn) to the economy.

While Starmer sold the deal as a “win-win”, attacks immediately emerged from the opposition Conservative Party, which said the deal would make the UK a “rule-taker” from Brussels.

Nigel Farage, head of the hard-right, pro-Brexit Reform UK party, called the deal an “abject surrender”.

What are the terms of the deal?

As part of Monday’s defence-and-security agreement, the UK and the EU will work more closely on information sharing, maritime issues and cybersecurity.

Crucially for Britain, the bloc committed to exploring ways for the UK to access EU procurement defence funds.

British weapons manufacturers can now take part in a 150-billion-euro ($169bn) programme to rearm Europe – part of United States President Donald Trump’s push for Brussels to spend more on defence.

Meanwhile, both sides have agreed to work on a joint agrifood agreement to remove Brexit-era trade barriers like safety checks on animals, paperwork and bans on certain products.

In 2023, UK food and drink exports to the EU were worth 14 billion pounds ($18.7bn), accounting for 57 percent of all the sector’s overseas sales. Monday’s agreement should raise that.

In exchange, the UK will need to follow EU food standards – a system known as “dynamic alignment” – and accept the European Court of Justice’s oversight in this area.

There have been talks on linking up the UK and EU’s carbon markets (i.e., a tradable price on CO2 emission) and on a joint electricity market.

The deal also paves the way for the UK’s return to the Erasmus student exchange programme, as well as granting young people access to the EU through work and travel.

In a symbolic gesture to please tourists, Britons will be allowed to use border e-gates at most EU airports, reducing queues at passport controls.

Finally, the UK will grant EU fishers access to British waters for an additional 12 years, an eleventh-hour concession from the UK – three times longer than it had originally offered.

Does this amount to backtracking on Brexit?

Critics from the Conservative Party and Reform UK quickly denounced the deal as a betrayal of Brexit, arguing that the price of the trade agreement was excessive.

The fisheries deal drew fierce disapproval, with opposition politicians saying it meant handing over Britain’s fishing waters to European fishers for an extra decade.

Fishing is a key issue in the UK, despite making up just 0.04 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). And Starmer’s deal appears to have reignited tensions last seen during Brexit negotiations.

Offering “12 years access to British waters is three times longer than the govt wanted,” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X. “We’re becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again.”

Reform’s leader, Farage, told Bloomberg that Starmer’s deal on fisheries “will be the end of the industry”. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation called it a “horror show”.

Elsewhere, there were complaints about Britain having to submit itself to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice on agrifood policies.

For their part, the Conservatives vowed to reverse all these changes if they got back into power.

Still, Starmer stuck firmly to his election promise of not re-joining the European single market (in which goods and people can move freely) or the customs union (which eliminates tariffs on goods traded between EU countries).

What were the costs of Brexit?

According to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the Ministry of Finance’s independent forecaster, the UK’s decision to leave the EU will shrink trade flows by 15 percent.

The OBR also that calculated Brexit will lower GDP by 4 percent over the long term. That’s the equivalent of costing the economy 100 billion pounds ($134bn) per year.

For starters, Brexit involved erecting significant trade barriers with Europe. In 2024, UK goods exports to the EU were 18 percent below their 2019 level, in real terms.

The decision to leave the EU also triggered business uncertainty. Lacking clarity over the UK’s future economic relationship with the EU, business investment softened.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimates that business investment was 13 percent lower in 2023 than under a remain scenario.

Brexiteers promised that leaving the EU would allow Westminster to sign global free trade agreements and break away from the EU’s demanding regulatory regime.

“The argument was that doing business at home and abroad would be simplified,” says Gaurav Ganguly, head of EMEA Economic Research at Moody’s Analytics.

“And while the UK has signed several trade deals since 2020, Brexit has not unleashed the potential that was talked about [by its advocates].”

In recent weeks, the UK has signed up to trade agreements with India and the US. But Britain’s average GDP growth was just 0.64 percent between 2020 and 2024.

Elsewhere, public support for Brexit has fallen since the 52-48 percent leave vote in the 2016 referendum.

Earlier this year, polling by YouGov found only 30 percent of Britons now think it was right for the UK to vote to leave the EU, versus 55 percent who say it was wrong.

Roughly 60 percent of people believe Brexit has gone badly, including one-third of leave voters. A majority also believe that leaving the EU has damaged Britain’s economy.

Are the economic benefits from the new agreement?

Ever since last year’s election, the Labour government has pledged to improve Britain’s anaemic levels of growth. It sees lower trade barriers with the EU as crucial to that goal.

Acknowledging the damage inflicted to Britain’s trade by Brexit, Starmer said the deal to remove restrictions on food would give 9 billion pounds ($12bn) boost to the UK economy by 2040.

In a government briefing, Downing Street said it would redress the 21 percent drop in exports and 7 percent drop in imports seen since Brexit.

That said, 9 billion pounds ($12bn) would amount to just 0.2 percent of the UK’s national output. As such, this week’s agreement deal has dismantled only a fraction of the trade barriers erected post-Brexit.

“Yesterday’s deal may lift growth,” Ganguly told Al Jazeera. “But the UK economy continues to struggle from structural weaknesses, including low productivity and limited fiscal space.”

The Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank, recently calculated that the UK-EU reset would boost Britain’s GDP by between 0.3 percent and 0.7 percent.

Ganguly said he is “not inclined to change my forecast in the short term”, adding “In addition, it’s clear that yesterday’s agreements won’t completely reverse the economic hit from Brexit.”

The upshot is that Ganguly expects modest GDP growth of around 1-2 percent between now and the next election cycle, in 2029.

So the white smoke emerged from Whitehall as the Prime Minister didn’t quite say “Habemas a Deal”. at the end of the much hyped UK-EU reset talks. The good news is that there is some amelioration of the 2020 Brexit Treaty negotiated by Boris Johnson. The bad news is that it won’t satisfy many on either side of the Brexit divide.

In 1992 the Swiss voted against the Maastricht Treaty enshrining Margaret Thatcher’s campaign to create a single market Europe with its four freedoms of movement of capital, goods, services and labour. Pope Saint John Paul II Mrs Thactcer’s Treat  “will hasten the process of European integration. A common political structure, the product of the free will of European citizens, far from endangering the identity of the peoples in the community, will be able to guarantee more equitably the rights, in particular the cultural rights, of all its regions. These united European peoples will not accept the domination of one nation or culture over the others, but they will uphold the equal right of all to enrich others with their difference.”

                  Quickly Europe’s richest nation in the Alps realised they had shot a crossbow arrow into their foot. Negotiations started and continue to this day to improve Switzerland’s access to the four freedoms without actually joining the EU.

                  The Alpine nation is governed by referendums and there have been 20 so far on aspects of the EU-Swiss relationship. 17 agreed to proposals put forward by negotiators in Berne and Brussels and 3 said no. In 2010 as David Cameron and Nick Clegg announced their referendum which both leaders thought would put the Europe question to bed the Swiss voted against allowing Europeans to work in sectors like care homes, agricultures, mountain tourism, or construction which Swiss like Brits chez nous didn’t want to work in.

                  Swiss employers recoiled in horror and launched a campaign to reverse the decision. Despite the fulminations of the anti-EU Swiss People’s Party a second referendum was held and Switzerland now benefits from access to the European labour market pool while the UK imported more than a million workers from Africa and Asia to do the work native Brits shunned.

                  Britain is now embarking on the laborious slog of the mountain climb of gradual  step by step improvements in the 2020 deal Boris Johnson signed.

                  This has led the ageing tenors of anti-European ideology emerging like Japanese soldiers from the jungle 20 years after the second world war ended still believing their inevitable triumph is just around the corner.

                  From Boris Johnson, through Jacob Rees Mogg, Priti Patel, David Frost, Andrew Neil or assorted peers and retired Oxbridge dons  the chorus of “Surrender!”, “Betrayal!”, or “Sell-out!” continues but is weaker and weaker.

                  As Rod Liddle who helped turn Today when he edited it into a platform for Nigel Farage and anti-European keenies now notes the old heartlands of Brexit know it has delivered none of its promises and just want to move on.

                  Some Labour ministers use Theresa May’s slogan she “would make Brexit work.” That is an oxymoron. When the very conservative governor of the Bank of England says here will be no growth if we continue to set our faces against trade with Europe that is an ex-cathedra statement saying Adieu to Brexit. 

                  The Prime minister has none of the flair, nor drive of a Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher but after the excitements of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, voters opted for caution, prudence, and stability.

                  `It will be a long haul but the 30 year long Brexit era of British politics is over. One day Polish workers will be welcome back in Britain and attendance at Sunday mass will go up.

Denis MacShane is the former Labour Minister for Europe. His book “Brexiternity. The uncertain future of Britain” is published by Bloomsbury.

Holidaymakers with UK passports are facing a major change at airports after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer outlined the terms of the UK’s new ‘EU reset deal’ – and it could come into effect this year

A major change affecting holidaymakers with British passports is set to come into effect. Sir Keir Starmer announced the news as part of what he described as a ‘common sense’ deal with the EU, reached nine years after the UK first voted to leave the European Union.

Starmer described the deal as a “win-win” as he shook hands with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in London on Monday (May 19). “Britain is back on the world stage,” he declared. “[The deal] gives us unprecedented access to the EU market, the best of any country… all while sticking to the red lines in our manifesto.”

The PM went on to explain the impact of the “new partnership between an independent Britain and our allies in Europe” on voters’ daily lives.

“Let me set out why it is good for Britain,” he said in a speech posted to X.

“Today’s deal will […] help British holidaymakers. We’re confirming that they will be able to use e-gates when they travel to Europe, ending those huge queues at passport control.”

Since Brexit, British passport holders have been considered “visa-exempt third-country nationals” and have generally had to queue for manual checks at border control to have their passport stamped.

Brits were able to use e-gates at a limited number of airports in Spain and Portugal.

However, the EU has now agreed to ease checks on British travellers more universally.

The deal states that “there will be no legal barriers to e-gate use for British nationals travelling to and from European Union.”

When will I be able to use e-gates?

It has not yet been confirmed when the changes will come into effect.

However, the EU plans to launch its new Entry/Exit System (EES) in October 2025, replacing the need for non-EU citizens to have their passports stamped. It is thought that more EU airports will allow UK passengers to use the e-gates after the new system comes into effect.

The system will require travellers to have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken so they can be registered to a database. Their data will then be stored for three years.

Those who do not provide a fingerprint scan and photo will be denied entry.

Some EU airports will still require additional checks and Brits may not be able to use e-gates here.

Brits will also still be subject to the ’90-day rule’, whereby eligible non-EU citizens can spend 90 days in any 180-day period in the EU without a visa.

Travel records will be digitised under the new EES to enforce this rule and increase border security.

The ‘landmark deal’ is also expected to “lower food prices at checkouts”, improve UK defence and put “more money in people’s pockets,” according to Starmer. Von der Leyen described it as “a historic moment […] opening a new chapter in our unique relationship.”

BRITS heading to Europe could soon find it much easier thanks to new plans allowing holidaymakers to use airport e-gates.

Since the UK left the EU, British tourists have faced huge queues at the airport across Europe after being forced to use the standard passport gates.

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However, the UK government has revealed plans of a deal that would allow UK holidaymakers to use the much faster e-gates when visiting Europe.

The talks, part of the UK-EU summit taking place today, suggest Brits would join other EU tourists in the shorter queues, The Guardian reports.

EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said he backed the potential rule change.

He told Sky News: “I would love to see you being able to go through the border more quickly in that way.

“That’s certainly something we’ve been pushing with the EU and I think that will be something that will be very helpful to British people.

“I think we can all agree that not being stuck in queues and having more time to spend, whether it’s on holiday or work trips, having more time to do what you want, would be a very sensible objective.”

Plans to allow Brits to use e-gates in European countries were put forward back in 2023 by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak although never came into fruition.

Last summer, some Brits even missed their flights when travelling through Spain due to long passport queues while waiting to get them stamped.

Another Brit wrote on Tripadvisor: “My lunchtime arrival at Oslo left me with an hour and a half wait to get through manual passport control.”

Another agreed: “The queue was horrendous, people couldn’t even get into the passport hall. Took just over 90 minutes to get through.”

However, the new rules could cause problems with passport stamping, which is still required from Brits entering and exiting Europe.

This is because of the new rules which only allow Brits to visit for 90 days in an 180 day period.

Anyone without an outgoing stamp could be mistakenly seen to have overstayed in Europe and even be banned from entering – which happened to a British tourist in Majorca back in 2022.

But it comes ahead of the constantly-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) which will scrap the need for passport stamping entirely.

First announced in 2016, it finally hopes to be rolled out from October this year.

Instead of manual passport stamping, new biometric checks will take place instead.

And next year will see the roll out of the ETIAS – a visa waiver that Brits will need to visit Europe.

Costing around €7 and lasting three years, it will be similar to the current ESTA Brits need when visiting the US.

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No forgiving a Brexit betrayal

WILL today go down in history as the day Sir Keir Starmer betrayed Brexit and the British people?

From the moment he entered No10, or Remainiac Prime Minister — who spent years in Opposition trying to reverse the historic 2016 vote — has been hellbent on securing a so-called “reset” with the EU.

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His approach to the negotiations with Brussels has been naive at best, and craven at worst.

Indeed, the message his public desperation sent to the hard-nosed Eurocrats was “I want a deal at any price, so shaft me”.

The vengeful EU — which will never get over Brexit, and cannot stand the idea of us being a sovereign nation again — duly obliged.

Its list of demands, in return for a defence partnership, a sop on passport queues and the simple lifting of some spiteful checks on British food exports, would put a mafia extortionist to shame.

Through a series of snide anonymous briefings (the EU’s tactic of choice for decades), we know it expects to agree the following at today’s Lancaster House talks:

Britain to slavishly adhere to every pettifogging Brussels edict on standards, a straitjacket known as “dynamic alignment” which would make trade deals with the rest of world far harder.

Subservience to the over-mighty, expansionist European Court of Justice.

Generous access to our fishing waters for mostly French vessels for ever more, undermining a core reason why millions voted Leave.

Bundles of cash to once again be paid into the EU’s coffers for participation in its various programmes and schemes.

Most unbelievably, a “youth mobility scheme” for anyone under 35 – yes, 35! – which would restore free movement by the back door, and give 80 MILLION EU citizens the chance to live and work here.

So much for getting a grip on runaway immigration.

And what has Sir Keir’s response been to all of this?

He and his Chancellor have effectively said bring it on, and that this is just the start of a much deeper future partnership with the EU.

We remind them both of two things, before they sit down to formally ink this seemingly wretched surrender deal.

First, the best economic days of the EU are long behind it — look at the state of the German and French economies.

Britain should be looking to do ambitious trade deals beyond Europe — indeed the new partnership with India, and the recent easing of US tariffs were only possible because of Brexit.

Not tying our hands and alienating allies like Donald Trump.

And, second, the British people voted nine years ago to take back control of our money, borders and laws.

If the PM hands all of this back over to Brussels today, he will not be forgiven.

SIR Keir Starmer is preparing to wave the white flag to Brussels in a fresh Brexit betrayal, Kemi Badenoch has warned.

The Tory chief accused the PM of lining up a string of concessions to the EU just to say he’s “reset” Brexit relations.

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It comes as the PM is heading to Albania today for last-minute talks with EU leaders ahead of a major London summit, where he’s expected to sign a new defence and trade pact.

It is understood that in return, Sir Keir has put fishing rights, immigration rules and legal powers all on the line.

Writing for The Sun, Ms Badenoch said: “Keir Starmer walks into negotiations with a white flag at the ready…

“The Brexit vote was not a polite suggestion, it was a clear instruction: to put Britain first.” She warned British waters could be handed back to French trawlers “for no good reason”, calling it “a fundamental betrayal of Britain’s fishing community”.

And she raised alarm over Labour’s support for an EU Youth Mobility Scheme, saying it “would see us accepting seemingly unlimited numbers of unemployed 20-somethings from Romania and Bulgaria… all coming over here to take UK jobs.”

The Tory leader accused Labour of preparing to make Britain “a rule-taker from Brussels once again” by aligning food laws, restricting farmers from using modern crops.

And she warned the plan to join the EU’s carbon trading scheme will leave Sun readers “saddled with even more expensive bills, just so Keir Starmer can say he ‘got closer’ to Europe.”

Vowing to reverse any Brexit row backs, Ms Badenoch said: “A future Conservative Government will take them back. I will always put Britain first. And when the time comes – I will make it right.”

Ms Badenoch will head to Brussels herself today to speak at the IDU Forum – a global gathering of centre-right parties.

She will argue Britain’s relationship with EU countries can be improved without “being supplicant”.