UK PM Sir Keir Starmer, speaking ahead of a summit in London between the two sides on Monday, gave a strong signal that a youth mobility scheme could form part of a new deal with the EU.
However, he also insisted such a scheme would not amount to a return to pre-Brexit freedom of movement.
Before the UK left the EU young people in the UK had the right to travel and study freely, without a visa, in the rest of Europe and vice versa. A new deal could see a return to a similar state of affairs.
Starmer cited reciprocal youth mobility schemes (YMS) that the UK already has with countries such as Australia – where people between the ages of 18 and 35 are allowed to work in each other’s countries.
Some, such as the Tories in the UK, have labelled such efforts as a return to “freedom of movement through the back door.”
Speaking to this website on Monday, just ahead of the summit, Denis MacShane, who was the Europe Minister in the UK under Tony Blair, welcomed any possible revival of youth mobility between the UK and Europe.
The Labour politician said, “It was also one of meanest aspects of the ultra-hard Boris Johnson Brexit deal signed in 2020 that the Tpry government removed the right to young Brits to travel, work for a short period abroad similar to schemes agreed with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Andorra, Iceland, Monaco, San Marino, Uruguay, Hong Kong, or Taiwan.”
He wrote, “We will see how much white smoke emerges from Whitehall today at the end of the much hyped UK-EU reset talks. The good news is that some amelioration of the 2020 Brexit Treaty negotiated by Boris Johnson will be agreed. The bad news is that it won’t satisfy many on either side of the Brexit divide.
“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.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.”
Britain currently offers visas allowing young people from 12 non-EU countries including Japan, South Korea and Uruguay to study or work in the UK for up to two years. Those from Australia, Canada or New Zealand can extend by a further year. he UK’s European relations minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, publicly confirmed last week that the government was considering setting up a youth mobility scheme as part of a new partnership agreement with the EU, says the BBC.
· MacShane’s book “Brexiternity. The uncertain future of Britain” is published by Bloomsbury.
