London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

UK eurosceptics warn British government against Swiss-style ties with EU

UK eurosceptics warn British government against Swiss-style ties with EU

The British government said it has no plans to move to a Swiss-style relationship with the European Union after some of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's eurosceptic lawmakers warned him against pursuing a closer alignment with the trading bloc.
The Sunday Times reported that Sunak's government would look to pursue frictionless trade with the EU, which Britain left in January 2020. The newspaper said a potential deal could be modelled on Switzerland's EU relationship but that this would not involve a return to freedom of movement.

Switzerland has access to the EU's single market, but in return has to accept conditions, including freedom of movement and payments into the bloc's budget - a model previously rejected by British ministers during negotiations with Brussels.

"I don't recognise this story at all," health minister Steve Barclay told Sky News. "I don't support that. I want to maximise the opportunities that Brexit offers."

A UK foreign ministry spokesperson said: "These reports are categorically untrue".

Simon Clarke, a former minister, was among those to criticise any suggestion that Britain could pursue a Swiss-style deal. He said on Twitter he hoped and believed that a Swiss-style deal "isn’t something under consideration".

David Frost, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief Brexit negotiator, said if the claims were correct, he hoped "the government thinks better of these plans, fast".

Nigel Farage, one of the most high-profile faces of the campaign to leave the EU, said on Twitter: "This level of betrayal will never be forgiven."

Britain's governing Conservatives have lurched from crisis to crisis since the vote to leave the European Union in 2016, which led to years of difficult negotiations with Brussels over an exit deal.

During those talks, the British government said the Swiss-style model of EU relations was unsuitable for Britain because the UK would have had to align with EU laws without any say over them and agree to freedom of movement for EU workers.

Britain is currently locked in talks with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol, a part of the Brexit deal that mandated checks on some goods moving to Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom due to the province's open land border with EU member Ireland.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×