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Louise Thomas
Editor
The European Union is willing to offer Sir Keir Starmer a new deal on post-Brexit issues, the Irish prime minister has indicated.
Simon Harris said there was “space” to work more closely with the UK, and Ireland would be an ally in any negotiations.
His comments were welcomed by the new business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who said the UK should explore ways to improve trade relations with the bloc. But he ruled out any return to freedom of movement.
On a visit to Edinburgh Sir Keir Starmer said work had already begun to build closer ties with the EU following Labour’s landslide election win.
The PM said he wanted better trading and security relationships with Brussels as he vowed to rip up the “botched” deal struck by Boris Johnson.
Foreign secretary David Lammy has also travelled to Europe for talks with key players, with a promise that the UK would be a “good neighbour” after the years of Brexit strife. Speaking to reporters in Edinburgh, Sir Keir said: “We intend to improve our relationship with the EU and that means closer trading ties with the EU, it means closer ties in relation to research and development and closer ties in relation to defence and security.
“Obviously, there are many discussions to be had and negotiations to be had.
“But I do think that we can get a much better deal than the botched deal that Boris Johnson saddled the UK with.” Mr Reynolds told the Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News that “removing some of those barriers to trade makes sense,” adding: “We’ve talked about recognising each others’ professional qualifications, again completely sensible, pragmatic.
“If you are in the creative industries you’ve really suffered in your ability to move around the EU. These are practical things.”
But pressed on free movement, he said: “We’re not open to the free movement of people, that is something that is part of membership of the EU and, as I said, we’re not revisiting that.”
He added that going forward “a relationship to Europe that is not determined by the internal politics of the Conservative Party is very much in the national interest in the UK.
“So we're not going to revisit those constitutional arguments, but of course where it’s in the mutual interest of both the European Union and the UK to work together, that good faith relationship has got to make sense.”
In one of his first acts in government, Sir Keir held a telephone call with the taoiseach and invited him to Downing Street on 17 July.
Asked if there would be a willingness to renegotiate parts of the Brexit deal, Mr Harris said: “I do absolutely think there would be a fair hearing for any proposal that the British government or indeed that the EU has about ironing out practical issues in terms of having a relationship that works.”
He said Brexit had happened and the British people had made their decision.
“But absolutely is there space to have a veterinary agreement, is their space in terms of student mobility, is their space to work closer together on issues? I think there absolutely is. And I do think there would be a willingness in Europe to have those conversations in due course, should that be the wish of the British government.”
He added that Ireland would be an “ally” of a closer relationship between Britain and the EU.
He said: “It is obviously important that Britain and the European Union continue to be good neighbours and it is absolutely in Ireland's interest that we facilitate that in every way we can around any European table.
Mr Reynolds said he welcomed Mr Harris’s “constructive attitude”.
Labour had campaigned during the election to “respect Brexit, to not revisit those constitutional arguments”, he said.
But on trade, he added: “If we can sell more whisky, more salmon to a market which is so significant to us, of course we should explore an opportunity like that.
”So we're not going to revisit those constitutional arguments, but of course where it's in the mutual interest of both the European Union and the UK to work together that good faith relationship has got to make sense.”
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