London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Nov 24, 2025

0:00
0:00

'Make Brexit work': Sir Keir Starmer rules out rejoining EU as he lays out Labour's plan to tackle problems

The Labour leader insists his party is "claiming the centre ground of British politics once again" as the Conservatives deal with further scandal. He revealed Labour's Brexit plan, from what to do with the Northern Ireland Protocol to removing trade barriers.
Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out rejoining the European Union as he laid out Labour's plan to tackle issues caused by Brexit.

Presenting a five-point plan to deal with Brexit, the Labour leader said his party has been "claiming the centre ground of British politics once again" while the Conservatives are "flailing around".

He said the plan is part of getting "Britain's economy growing once again" - and he will be saying "a lot more" about how to achieve that in the coming weeks and months.

Sir Keir was clear that Labour will not try to rejoin the UK to the EU as that would "simply be a recipe for more division" and would ensure Britain "remained stuck for another decade".

And in a play on Boris Johnson's campaign slogan "get Brexit done", he said the plan will "make Brexit work".

This is his plan:

1. The Northern Ireland Protocol: Labour would build trust by being an "honest broker" and eliminate most border checks with a new veterinary agreement for agri-products between the UK and EU.

It would work with business to put in place a better scheme to allow low-risk goods to enter Northern Ireland "without unnecessary checks".

2. Trade barriers: Labour would "make trade easier" outside the single market and customs union by extending the new veterinary agreement to cover all the UK.

It would "build on agreements and mechanisms already in place between the EU and other countries".

3. British industry: Labour would have mutual recognition of professional qualifications so British services "can compete".

It would also restore access to funding and vital research programmes.

4. Keep Britain safe: Labour would seek new security arrangements to defend the borders, including sharing data, intelligence and best practice.

A joint intelligence network would be set up between the UK and Europe.

5. Invest in Britain: Labour would work with businesses to "bring the good, clean jobs of the future to our shores".

Together, they would "open up new markets and create new opportunities", using the flexibility of being outside the EU "to ensure British regulation is adapted to suit British needs".

Ahead of the announcement, Sir Keir told Sky News' Beth Rigby: "We're not going back to the EU, to the single market, to the customs union or freedom of movement.

"We are going forwards not backwards, not reopening those divisions.

"I don't think reopening all the old wounds and going backwards is going to help us on that mission to drive the economy."

The current Brexit deal is "not a good deal", he said, adding that it is causing problems in Northern Ireland and the agreements on services and security are not good enough.

"This is a forward-looking plan, it's not a plan to go back, it's not a plan to rejoin the EU," he insisted.

Sir Keir said he is "absolutely convinced" there are "practical ways" to solve the current issues around the Northern Ireland Protocol - part of the Brexit deal that has effectively placed a border in the Irish Sea despite Mr Johnson insisting it would not.

Looking ahead to the next general election, which is supposed to be in 2024, he added: "This will be the driving mission of an incoming Labour government - to grow the economy."

Sir Keir said he did not regret campaigning for a second Brexit referendum, something that is credited with helping Labour to lose the last election.

"We made our policy in the circumstances that were then the live circumstances, but we've left the EU now and the government has said we need to get Brexit done, but it hasn't really got a plan to do that," he added.

"I want to make Brexit work."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Unveils Critical-Minerals Strategy to Break China Supply-Chain Grip
Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” Extends U.K. No. 1 Run to Five Weeks
UK VPN Sign-Ups Surge by Over 1,400 % as Age-Verification Law Takes Effect
Former MEP Nathan Gill Jailed for Over Ten Years After Taking Pro-Russia Bribes
Majority of UK Entrepreneurs Regard Government as ‘Anti-Business’, Survey Shows
UK’s Starmer and US President Trump Align as Geneva Talks Probe Ukraine Peace Plan
UK Prime Minister Signals Former Prince Andrew Should Testify to US Epstein Inquiry
Royal Navy Deploys HMS Severn to Shadow Russian Corvette and Tanker Off UK Coast
China’s Wedding Boom: Nightclubs, Mountains and a Demographic Reset
Fugees Founding Member Pras Michel Sentenced to 14 Years in High-Profile US Foreign Influence Case
WhatsApp’s Unexpected Rise Reshapes American Messaging Habits
United States: Judge Dressed Up as Elvis During Hearings – and Was Forced to Resign
Johnson Blasts ‘Incoherent’ Covid Inquiry Findings Amid Report’s Harsh Critique of His Government
Lord Rothermere Secures £500 Million Deal to Acquire Telegraph Titles
Maduro Tightens Security Measures as U.S. Strike Threat Intensifies
U.S. Envoys Deliver Ultimatum to Ukraine: Sign Peace Deal by Thursday or Risk Losing American Support
Zelenskyy Signals Progress Toward Ending the War: ‘One of the Hardest Moments in History’ (end of his business model?)
U.S. Issues Alert Declaring Venezuelan Airspace a Hazard Due to Escalating Security Conditions
The U.S. State Department Announces That Mass Migration Constitutes an Existential Threat to Western Civilization and Undermines the Stability of Key American Allies
Students Challenge AI-Driven Teaching at University of Staffordshire
Pikeville Medical Center Partners with UK’s Golisano Children’s Network to Expand Pediatric Care
Germany, France and UK Confirm Full Support for Ukraine in US-Backed Security Plan
UK Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods Face Rising Backlash as Pandemic Schemes Unravel
UK Records Coldest Night of Autumn as Sub-Zero Conditions Sweep the Country
UK at Risk of Losing International Doctors as Workforce Exodus Grows, Regulator Warns
ASU Launches ASU London, Extending Its Innovation Brand to the UK Education Market
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Visit China in January as Diplomatic Reset Accelerates
Google Launches Voluntary Buyouts for UK Staff Amid AI-Driven Company Realignment
UK braces for freezing snap as snow and ice warnings escalate
Majority of UK Novelists Fear AI Could Displace Their Work, Cambridge Study Finds
UK's Carrier Strike Group Achieves Full Operational Capability During NATO Drill in Mediterranean
Trump and Mamdani to Meet at the White House: “The Communist Asked”
Nvidia Again Beats Forecasts, Shares Jump in After-Hours Trading
Wintry Conditions Persist Along UK Coasts After Up to Seven Centimetres of Snow
UK Inflation Eases to 3.6 % in October, Opening Door for Rate Cut
UK Accelerates Munitions Factory Build-Out to Reinforce Warfighting Readiness
UK Consumer Optimism Plunges Ahead of November Budget
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
Caribbean Reparations Commission Seeks ‘Mutually Beneficial’ Justice from UK
EU Insists UK Must Contribute Financially for Access to Electricity Market and Broader Ties
UK to Outlaw Live-Event Ticket Resales Above Face Value
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
German Entertainment Icons Alice and Ellen Kessler Die Together at Age 89
UK Unveils Sweeping Asylum Reforms with 20-Year Settlement Wait and Conditional Status
UK Orders Twitter Hacker to Repay £4.1 Million Following 2020 High-Profile Breach
Popeyes UK Eyes Century Mark as Fried-Chicken Chain Accelerates Roll-out
Two-thirds of UK nurses report working while unwell amid staffing crisis
Britain to Reform Human-Rights Laws in Sweeping Asylum Policy Overhaul
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
×