Eurocrats tried to ‘bully’ Britain yesterday as Brussels insisted security and defence should be on the table alongside fishing rights in post-Brexit ‘reset’ talks.
EU leaders hope this move will force Sir Keir Starmer into further unpicking Brexit as they also push for freedom of movement for young adults.
No 10 had wanted to deal with security separately – seen as the easiest area for an agreement – with the aim of announcing a deal at a summit in London in May.
But one EU diplomat said: ‘Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, including security and defence.’
The ultimatum was relayed to Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds – tasked with leading a Brexit reset – as negotiations began with his counterpart, Maros Sefcovic, in Brussels yesterday. One source familiar with the bloc’s no-nonsense strategy said they believe Sir Keir is desperate for a ‘guns for growth’ deal, as such an agreement would ensure firms can take part in European defence-procurement contracts.
Meanwhile, Brussels wants a return to freedom of movement for those aged between 18 and 30 as well as the right for EU nations to fish in British waters beyond 2026. Its ruthless tactics have been taken from the playbook of Michel Barnier, the bloc’s former Brexit negotiator, to stop Britain gaining the upper hand in talks.
This has sparked fresh calls to prioritise a trade deal with the US instead, as senior Tories branded Brussels’s move ‘disgraceful’ because security and defence is about the safety of citizens.
The Tories’ Armed Forces spokesman Mark Francois said: ‘It’s precisely because of negotiating like this, trying to bully us over fishing rights whilst discussing defence co-operation, that the British people voted to take back control and leave the EU in the first place. The EU has seen us being bullied by the island of Mauritius over Chagos, so of course they are trying to bully us too. It’s disgraceful.
‘The problem is that Starmer remains a Remainer, so he’s too weak to push back.’
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: ‘This should be a wake-up call for Starmer. The EU wants their pound of flesh.
‘They want us to tear up Brexit, which makes this discussion dangerous. The EU wants it all. The Government should instead focus on a trade deal with the US.
‘The EU is in an economic mess, the US is set for growth. It’s a no-brainer.’ Mr Thomas-Symonds claimed yesterday that talks with Mr Sefcovic had been ‘productive’.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel last night said: ‘It is disgraceful that the Labour Government is lining up to betray Brexit and the democratic will of the British public. This government must make clear it is prepared to… put our national interests first.’