BORDERLINE MADNESS! Starmer’s ‘EU Reset’ Sends Britain Backwards and Brussels is Calling the Shots.

In a Commons Research Briefing dropped on 5 March 2025, the roadmap is laid bare. It paints a picture of a government desperately trying to please EU bureaucrats, offering up concessions like candy at a trade fair. The so-called “reset” includes over 70 meetings with EU officials, a new summit scheduled for May, and endless talk of “alignment,” “cooperation,” and “structured dialogue.”

This is not Brexit 2.0. It’s Remain 1.1.

Backdoor Backslide?

Labour’s manifesto in July 2024 swore there’d be “no return” to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement – but actions speak louder than manifestos.

The government now wants:

• A veterinary and food safety agreement to reduce checks, which the EU says will require “dynamic alignment” – meaning Britain will have to match and follow evolving EU rules without having a say in them.
  
• A youth mobility deal rejected under the Conservatives now being quietly entertained.
  
• A security pact that could pull Britain back into EU military and defence operations despite being outside the bloc.
  

Make no mistake: this is regulation without representation.

And the EU? Oh, they’ve seen the weakness. Brussels has already floated its demands: fishing rights, CJEU jurisdiction, financial contributions, and alignment with EU law.

Selling the Fish to Buy a Pact.

According to page 9 of the briefing, the EU wants access to UK fishing waters beyond 2026 a so-called “early understanding” in exchange for even considering security cooperation. One EU insider hinted this was the price of entry. So much for taking back control of our waters!

We left to control our borders and our fish. Labour’s response? Open the ports and hand back the catch.

The Three-Pillar Plan... or the Three-Step Surrender?

Labour’s “reset” is built on three “pillars”: Security, Safety, and Trade. Sounds sensible, right?

Until you realise:

• “Security” means foreign policy coordination... but under whose command?
• “Safety” means closer cooperation on law enforcement and migration... cue potential back-door deals on irregular migration policy.
• “Trade” means aligning on food standards, emissions trading, and recognising EU rules on professional qualifications.

All that’s missing is the EU flag back over Westminster.

A Government Obsessed with Talks.

Let’s talk numbers. Over 70 ministerial meetings with EU officials since Labour took office in July 2024. That’s roughly one every three days.

The Prime Minister’s own remarks ahead of his October 2024 trip to Brussels? He’s “determined to put the Brexit years behind us.” Translation: forget what you voted for.

And Chancellor Rachel Reeves? She told EU finance ministers in December that Labour wanted a “mature, business-like” relationship. But that “business” seems to be Britain giving, and Brussels taking.

Meanwhile, Real British Concerns Go Ignored.

Where’s the help for the struggling haulage industry crippled by red tape? Where’s the urgency on fixing sky-high food bills, or the chaos for touring musicians blocked from EU gigs?

Labour is offering “re-entry” into EU schemes – from emissions trading to youth visas – but only on EU terms. There’s no talk of reclaiming leverage, just repackaging concessions with shinier slogans.

Red Lines... Rubbed Out?

Labour insists it won’t return to the single market or customs union. But the EU’s terms for cooperation include:

• Jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice
• Continued alignment with EU law
• And even financial payments for privilege access
  

That’s not a partnership. That’s subordination.

Even EU Commissioner Šefčovič has said the UK must “upgrade its rules at the same time” as the EU. That's dynamic alignment, plain and simple. In other words, Brussels makes the rules, and Britain follows.

Conservative Response? Alarm Bells Ringing.

The Conservative opposition have already warned: “A future Conservative government will not be bound by a bad Labour deal.”

They know exactly where this is heading and it isn’t towards sovereignty or independence. It’s Brussels-lite, dressed in a Union Jack tie.

What Comes Next?

The UK–EU summit looms on 19 May 2025, with both sides pushing for “deliverables.” But what’s actually on the table? More alignment? Another fishing betrayal? Youth mobility deals in all but name?

One thing’s for sure if Labour keeps bending, we’ll soon be back where we started: taking orders, not giving them.

The British people voted to leave the EU to regain control. What they’ve got instead is a government obsessed with appeasing foreign technocrats, inching us closer and closer to rule-taking from Brussels once again.

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-10207/CBP-10207.pdf