Sir Keir Starmer’s new deal with the European Union has been savaged as “astonishingly bad” and a threat to British companies and innovation, according to a Thatcher-era minister. The reports that Conservative peer Peter Lilley, who oversaw the UK’s entry into the single market, issued the warning in a new report.
Lord Lilley's report raises alarms about Labour's proposed deal, which would see Britain "align" with Brussels' regulations across various sectors. He claims the EU aims to ensure the UK gained "as little positive as possible" from Brexit to deter other member states.
Rachel Reeves' declaration in her Mais lecture that the UK should "align with EU regulation" when in the national interest was a cause for alarm. She stated that setting independent regulations "should be the exception, not the norm."
The Policy Exchange report argues that the EU would be the primary beneficiary of an agri-food deal, as the bloc exports nearly four times the amount the UK sends back. Rejoining the Erasmus scheme would cost £570 million, significantly more than the Turing scheme's £110 million.
Lord Lilley's report also claims a veterinary (SPS) deal would burden British food producers with 76 new regulations and directives, costing an estimated £1 billion. Merging UK and EU emissions trading schemes is projected to cost British industry £1.1 billion annually.
The government spokesperson stated that current border red tape has added billions in costs, fuelling inflation and choking growth. They argue that food rotting at the border is a massive waste, taking money directly from British families and businesses.
The Labour government has no answers to the projected costs and regulatory burdens.