Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government is next hoping to secure a trade deal with the six Gulf nations, including Qatar and Saudia Arabia.
She told the BBC the pact would be Sir Keir Starmer’s “next deal” after securing an agreement with the European Union in a post-Brexit reset of the UK-EU relationship.
Treasury minister Darren Jones has claimed that the trade deal struck with the EU will boost growth by an estimated £90bn by 2040.
Officials earlier said the prime minister's deal would add £9 billion to Britain’s economy, while cutting bills for shoppers and bolstering border security.
Mr Jones told Sky News his £90bn figure was the sum of 15 years of benefit up to 2040. He added: “And of course, we want businesses to be able to think about exporting into the European market again like they used to in the past."
It came after the prime minister declared that Britain was “back on the world stage” as he unveiled his “win-win” post-Brexit deal with the EU.
But he sparked a backlash from the fishing industry and Brexiteers by striking a deal for EU fisherman to access British waters for 12 years, far longer than had been expected.
Read More
Key Points
- Reeves says Gulf trade pact is Government’s ‘next deal’ after EU summit
- UK-EU deal could add £90bn to economy, minister claims
- The key takeaways from Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset deal with EU
- Great British burgers, fish and the Grand Old Duke of York: Brexit is back – and as strange as ever
- Starmer admits Reform UK bigger threat than Conservatives at next election
Badenoch accuses Labour of 'dragging Britain backwards'
08:29
,
Alexander Butler
Kemi Badenoch has accused Labour of “dragging Britain backwards” after Sir Keir Starmer secured an EU reset deal with the bloc.
The Tory opposition leader claimed Sir Keir “reopened the old Brexit battles we’ve already fought and won.”
“More EU law. More EU judges. More money sent to Brussels,” she wrote on social media.
THREAD: Labour is dragging Britain backwards.
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 20, 2025
Yesterday’s UK-EU “Summit” should have been about moving us forward.
Instead, Keir Starmer is reopening the old Brexit battles we’ve already fought—and won.
The result? More EU law. More EU judges. More money sent to Brussels.…
EU deal economic benefits will outweigh cost to taxpayers, says minister
08:25
The economic benefits of Sir Keir Starmer’s deal with the European Union will outweigh the cost to taxpayers, industry minister Sarah Jones said.
The UK will pay administration costs, which have yet to be decided, for participation in measures such as the scheme to make it easier to ship animal and plant products to the EU.
Ms Jones told Sky News: “We are not paying, through any of this, for access to markets. That is not what we are doing. We are not rejoining the EU.
“Where we will pay, and these things will be negotiated, where we will pay is where there are joint costs that need to be paid.”
She added: “Whatever administrative costs we have to pay, and they will be negotiated and I don’t have an answer for you now on what those costs are, they will be outweighed very significantly by what we estimate will be a £9 billion advantage a year by 2040.”
Truss and Johnson cast long shadows over the Conservative Party
08:05
,
Archie Mitchell
The Conservative Party is dogged by its past leaders Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.
Hosting a press conference in response to Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit reset deal on Monday, Kemi Badenoch was overshadowed by Mr Johnson’s claim the PM had turned Britain once again into Europe’s “orange ball-chewing, leather-trussed gimp”.
And, in a bid to spell out how far Britain’s relationship with Europe has come under Sir Keir, industry minister Sarah Jones on Tuesday hit out at Ms Truss.
She told Sky News: “If you think about where we've come from to where we are now, where we had a Prime Minister who couldn't even say whether France was an ally or not, where negotiations had broken down to the point that people were, you know, making divisive comments in the newspapers, having their ideological positions, which meant that we ended up with a situation where we have rotting food at the borders.”
Minister: ‘Why would EU countries not want us using their passport gates’
07:52
,
Holly Evans
Labour’s industry minister could not say when British travellers would be able to start using EU e-gates when travelling to the continent.
Sarah Jones came unstuck when asked about when exactly holidaymakers could enjoy the quicker queues touted as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit reset deal.
After Sky News pointed out that the deal only includes an agreement on “the potential use of e-gates where appropriate”, with each member state deciding whether to agree, she said: “But why would a country choose not to?”
Presenter Wilfred Frost said that had been the case for six years.
Industry minister: Conservatives don’t understand how trade deals work
07:35
,
Archie Mitchell
The Conservatives do not understand how trade deals work, the industry minister has said. After Kemi Badenoch’s party vowed to put Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit reset deal “through the shredder”, Sarah Jones said they “don’t quite understand how these things work”.
She hit out at the “pushback” from Tory shadow ministers at contributions Britain will make to gain access to the EU’s 150 billion euro defence fund.
Asked for how much the contributions will amount to, she told Sky News: “There has been pushback from people like the Conservatives who don’t quite understand how these things work.
“We are not paying through any of this for access to markets… where we will pay is where there are joint costs that need to be paid.”
Reeves says Gulf trade pact is government’s ‘next deal’ after EU summit
07:26
,
Holly Evans
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government is nearing a trade pact with six Gulf nations, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as its next major deal.
She told the BBC the agreement would be the government’s “next deal” as it looks to continue to boost post-Brexit trade ties.
Ms Reeves suggested economic growth would be strengthened through recent trade deals with the United States, the EU and India.
“Britain is in a better place than any other country in the world in terms of deals with those countries,” she said.
“The first deal and the best deal so far with the US, we’ve got the best deal with the EU for any country outside the EU, and we’ve got the best trade agreement with India.”
The chancellor also said the UK was “not looking to have trade negotiations with China”.
Starmer under fire for missing ‘open goal’ on youth mobility in post-Brexit reset
07:00
,
Barney Davis
Critics have accused Sir Keir Starmer of missing an “open goal” after he failed to strike a youth mobility agreement with Brussels as part of his Brexit reset deal.
As the prime minister hailed the success of his negotiations, the European Movement UK group accused the prime minister of caving in to Eurosceptics.
Mike Galsworthy, chair of European Movement UK, told The Independent: “We already have these schemes with countries all around the world – it's an absolute no-brainer to have one with the EU. The PM needs to push through with this and ignore the critics, and finally stop our young talent from losing out."
Government defeated for third time in Lords over copyright protection against AI
06:01
,
Barney Davis
Peers have inflicted a heavy defeat on the Government for the third time over copyright protections for the creative industries against artificial intelligence (AI).
It came as the upper chamber joined artists and musicians, including Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, in speaking out against AI companies using copyrighted work without permission.
The House of Lords supported by 287 votes to 118, majority 169, an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, adding a commitment to introduce transparency requirements, aiming to ensure copyright holders are able to see when their work has been used and by who.
How Starmer managed to have his cake and eat it with new Brexit deal
05:02
,
Barney Davis
During the Brexit negotiations after the referendum, the notion that Britain could have a trade deal with the US or India while still having favourable access to the EU was sneered at as impossible.
But in a single month Sir Keir Starmer has achieved it, explains The Independent’s political editor David Maddox
Great British burgers, fish and the Grand Old Duke of York: Brexit is back – and as strange as ever
04:02
,
Barney Davis
There was charm, a UK delegation with folders and even Steve Bray with a speaker at the UK-EU Summit, writes Joe Murphy. But surprisingly, there was no talk of borders, just ‘great British burgers’
What does the new EU deal mean for Britain’s fishing industry?
03:03
,
Barney Davis
Sean O’Grady takes a look at the history of fishing in the UK, and asks why it’s such a sensitive aspect of our national identity.
'Britain can act like a grown-up again'
02:02
,
Barney Davis
Independent readers remain divided by Sir Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset deal with the EU.
But despite some reservations, many have welcomed it as a step toward stability, cooperation, and restoring the UK’s global standing.
For supporters, the deal marks a significant breakthrough. They praised Starmer’s pragmatic leadership and the symbolism of Britain “acting like a grown-up” again.
Starmer facing rebellion over plans to cut disability benefits
01:03
,
Barney Davis
Sir Keir Starmer has faced Labour MPs amid concern about the Government’s plans to cut disability benefits.
The Prime Minister is facing the threat of a major rebellion over plans which will tighten the eligibility criteria for the main disability benefit in England, the personal independence payment (Pip).
Restricting Pip would cut benefits for about 800,000 people while the sickness-related element of Universal Credit is also set to be cut.
Some 100 Labour MPs – more than a quarter of the party’s parliamentary numbers – are reported to have signed a letter urging ministers to scale back welfare cuts under consideration, according to media reports.
In a separate, earlier letter, 42 MPs said the cuts were “impossible to support”.
Rachel Reeves’s local Labour party, Leeds West and Pudsey Constituency Labour Party (CLP), has, meanwhile, agreed to write to the Chancellor voicing its opposition to the cuts.
In a motion, the CLP said disabled people “are not responsible for the state of the national finances and should not be made to pay the price for Tory economic mismanagement”.
UK-EU fishing deal ‘a compromise’, says European Commission vice president
Tuesday 20 May 2025 00:01
,
Barney Davis
Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister until she resigned to take on the role of Vice President of the European Commission, told Channel 4: “We are the logical partners when it comes to security issues. We are very close and need to see how our relationship grows.”
She added: “Every deal is a compromise on both sides. The wounds of Brexit are still there.
“It always comes with a lot of pain the discussions. The fishing agreement was over next year anyhow... It’s a compromise now both parties are happy.”
She said it was up to the British people to decide if the UK could rejoin the EU. “It was your decision”, she said.
Mental health 'MOTs could really help catch at-risk people early' Lib Dems
Monday 19 May 2025 23:02
,
Barney Davis
Mental health “MOTs could really help catch at-risk people early”, a Liberal Democrat MP has said.
The party’s mental health spokesman Danny Chambers described the Mental Health Bill as a “really important piece of legislation”.
In a speech, Mr Chambers paid tribute to his “really close friend” Sarah, a vet who he said “had her whole life and career ahead of her” when she “took her own life”.
He told the Commons: “Getting the news that I had lost her is one of the most painful experiences of my life and I know that there’ll be many other members in here today who will have suffered very similar experiences with their friends and their loved ones.
“And I speak about Sarah because while we’re in this place, we often discuss mental health issues in terms of statistics, and rightly so – we talk about waiting times, workforce shortages, the economic impact – but we must never forget that these are individual lives behind these numbers and nearly every person in this country is affected in some way.”
Mr Chambers said those at heightened risk of mental ill health included farmers, military veterans, mothers after childbirth, people living in poverty and LGBT+ people.
He added: “We already take a proactive approach when it comes to physical health – we have targeted cancer screenings for at-risk demographics, and we should be doing the same for mental health.
“These mental health MOTs could really help catch at-risk people early and start treating them before the problems develop further.”
Starmer's surrender will end British fishing as we know it - Farage
Monday 19 May 2025 22:02
,
Barney Davis
The leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage has said Keir Starmer’s EU deal will hand British fishing over to the trading bloc.
Writing in the Express, Mr Farage said: “What makes this so galling is that 12 years is essentially enough to give European boats permanent access to our waters.
“This is because during that time older fishermen will leave the industry, and there will be no younger ones joining, and likewise no investment in new boats.
“With no new investment, the UK will quickly become an island with no fishing industry to speak of.”
He added: “I can make a clear guarantee that Reform UK would repeal this surrender deal if we win the next General Election.
“We will restore our independence, fix the damage caused by the Tories failure to properly implement Brexit, and protect our industries and waters from foreign interference.”
UK-EU deal could add £90bn to economy, minister claims
Monday 19 May 2025 22:01
,
Barney Davis
Treasury minister Darren Jones told Sky News that the deal struck between the EU and the UK will boost growth by £90bn by 2040.
This is ten times the £9bn figure touted earlier by Sir Keir Starmer and it was clarified that £90bn figure is the sum of 15 years of benefit up to 2040.
Mr Jones told Sophy Ridge: "There's more to do.
“And of course, we want businesses to be able to think about exporting into the European market again like they used to in the past."
Starmer admits Reform UK bigger threat than Conservatives at next election
Monday 19 May 2025 21:42
,
Barney Davis
During a meeting with Labour backbenchers on Monday night, Sir Keir said: “Conservatives are not our principal opponent. Reform are our main rivals for power.”
He also told his party they had a “moral responsibility to make sure Farage never wins” as he called him a “state-slashing, NHS-privatising, Putin apologist. Without a single patriotic bone in his body. We will take to fight to him.”
At the meeting, the PM also faced questions on his controversial decision to strip winter fuel payment from around 10 million pensioners.
Badenoch accused of wearing transphobia as ‘badge of honour’ by Labour MP
Monday 19 May 2025 21:00
,
Barney Davis
Kemi Badenoch appears to wear transphobia as a “badge of honour”, a Labour MP has told Parliament.
Richard Quigley, the MP for Isle of Wight West, hit out at politicians who “scapegoat” vulnerable people, during a Westminster Hall debate on Monday.
Mr Quigley said: “It is disheartening to see figures, including the Leader of the Opposition, appear to wear their transphobia almost as a badge of honour.
“In this House we must not forget that our words matter and we can really impact the most vulnerable. I came into politics, and I believe many of us did, to champion minorities and give a voice to the voiceless.
“It is vital that we remember the power we hold, to raise the tone of debate rather than to lower it, to support the vulnerable, not scapegoat them.”
A spokesman for the Conservative leader said she has “always defended the rights of trans people” and accused Mr Quigley of twisting Mrs Badenoch’s words.
Starmer under fire at meeting of Labour MPs
Monday 19 May 2025 20:03
,
Kate Devlin
Sir Keir Starmer defended his government’s welfare cuts as he came under fire from Labour MPs at a meeting in Westminster tonight.
The prime minister described his welfare reforms “as a Labour cause” and how his party turned the UK around, a Labour source said.
But he received a “scolding” over his language on migration in the wake of last week’s controversial crackdown from veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott and others, The Independent has been told.
Sir Keir provoked a furious backlash when he warned the UK risks becoming “an island of strangers” – remarks that saw his own MPs join trade unions and charities in comparing with the language of the far right and Enoch Powell.
At the meeting, the PM also faced questions on his controversial decision to strip winter fuel payment from around 10 million pensioners. MPs say the message they got on the issue was that the Labour leader was “listening”.
There had been cheers and banging of desks at the start of the meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) just hours after Sir Keir secured a deal to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU.
The key takeaways from Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset deal with EU
Monday 19 May 2025 19:30
,
Holly Evans
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A landmark deal has been agreed between Britain and the European Union after a last minute breakthrough in Sir Keir Starmer's reset talks.
Sir Keir — who has made the Brexit reset a centrepiece of his administration — said Monday’s summit marks a "new era" of relations with the bloc, adding that it is about "moving on from stale old debates" and "looking forward, not backwards".
Some issues have proven thornier than others, with the topic of fishing rights understood to have been a key stumbling bloc for negotiators that was only solved in the early hours of the morning.
Meanwhile, talks surrounding a youth mobility scheme appear to have ended in a deadlock. As the the prime minister faces judgement on how successful his mission to reset relations with the EU has really been,The Independent takes a look exactly what has been agreed.
Read the full article here:
Starmer’s Brexit reset deal hailed for ‘turning page’ on relations with EU
Monday 19 May 2025 19:00
,
Holly Evans
Sir Keir Starmer today “turned a page” on Britain’s relations with the EU as he ushered in a “new era” of cooperation and friendship with his landmark Brexit reset deal.
A clearly jubilant prime minister said the deal — his third major international agreement this month after securing trade deals with India and the US — would be a “win-win” for both sides and showed Britain is “back on the world stage”.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen described it as an “historic moment” as she appeared alongside the PM at a press conference in London, just hours after frantic negotiations concluded to get the deal over the line.
“We are turning a page,” she said. “We are opening a new chapter in our unique relationship.”
Read the full article from our political editor David Maddox here:
What we know about the UK-EU e-passport plan
Monday 19 May 2025 18:30
,
Holly Evans
Watch: 'Britain is back on the world stage', Starmer declares
Monday 19 May 2025 18:00
,
Holly Evans
Labour’s Brexit reset should be an easy win for Starmer – shame it’s too late
Monday 19 May 2025 17:30
,
Holly Evans
Just for a change, a Labour manifesto promise is going to be fulfilled. The Brexit “reset” Keir Starmer has long promised has been, mostly, done. The broad outlines are clear, even if the details of the youth mobility scheme and British access to the newly enlarged European defence market are yet to be finalised.
It is exactly as Labour promised in its election campaign last year: “Labour will work to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, by tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade.
“We will seek to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and help tackle the cost of food; will help our touring artists; and secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters.
“Labour will seek an ambitious new UK-EU security pact to strengthen cooperation on the threats we face.”
Read the full analysis from Sean O’Grady here:
Starmer’s EU strategy isn’t a Brexit betrayal – it’s a necessity
Monday 19 May 2025 17:30
,
Holly Evans
Sir Keir Starmer is being accused of “betraying the 2016 Brexit vote” by seeking, in his “Brexit Reset” today, a closer relationship with the EU in an effort to improve our economy. And here’s why we shouldn’t care.
The Brexit vote was nearly 10 years ago. We voted on it before we’d even negotiated what Britain’s new relationship with the EU would be. Everyone, including the parties who supported it, thinks the new relationship is a disaster. And we’re in a poverty crisis that matters a lot more than all of the above. The only betrayal would be tolerating that poverty by not going far enough against Brexit.
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has said for years that it would not take us back into the EU single market or customs union. The single market is the system by which EU countries have the same rules for products and services, so that anything made in one country is automatically legal to sell in another. The customs union is how the EU negotiates trade deals as a single bloc.
Read the full analysis from Femi Oluwole here:
Pro-EU Labour MP: Brexit deal is ‘major step forward’
Monday 19 May 2025 17:02
,
Archie Mitchell
A pro-EU Labour MP has hailed Sir Keir Starmer’s Brexit deal as a “major step forward” for Britain.
Cities of London & Westminster MP Rachel Blake said it “begins to put right” the damage wrought on the UK by Boris Johnson’s “botched Brexit deal”.
“The Tories’ mishandling of Brexit has driven up costs, weakened businesses, and deepened divisions across the country,” Ms Blake said.
By contrast, she said Sir Keir’s reset would lead to “fewer obstacles, more stability for employers and workers, and crucially, lower food prices for families and residents”.
She added: “By making it easier to trade in food and agriculture with the EU, we’re bringing down prices for families and tackling the cost-of-living crisis head on.”
Deal with EU on defence ‘first step’ to further cooperation, minister says
Monday 19 May 2025 16:40
,
Holly Evans
The Government has said its agreement with the European Union over defence and security is an “ambitious” deal that will improve both the UK and EU’s defence capabilities.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the agreement was the “first step” towards further cooperation between the two parties, and would provide new opportunities to work together.
The partnership on defence and security, announced on Monday, will allow UK arms firms to bid for work under the EU’s new £150 billion security action for Europe (Safe) defence fund.
MPs were told the amount the UK will have to pay to access the fund was yet to be agreed.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Healey told MPs: “This is a Government delivering for defence today. The Government has agreed a new bespoke and ambitious Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
“The SDP will strengthen Nato, the cornerstone of the UK’s defence, and it will grow the economy.
“It allows us to step up more effectively together on European security against growing Russian aggression and against the increasing threats that we face.”
Badenoch says EU deal breaches her five tests - and she would reverse it
Monday 19 May 2025 16:21
,
Kate Devlin
The Conservative leader told a press conference in London that Sir Keir’s agreement had broken not only her own five tests but also “his own promises”.
But Kemi Badenoch also signed the Tories up to another Brexit renegotiation were she to win the next general election.
She said: “That means a new renegotiation. That is par for the course in trade.”
Farmers back Starmer but call for exclusions to dynamic alignment
Monday 19 May 2025 16:04
,
Archie Mitchell
Britain’s farmers have backed Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit reset of relations with Brussels, but called for some exemptions to planned alignment with EU rules.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) said positives of the deal include an agreement to slash barriers for British food exports to the bloc, with UK growers again able to export seed potatoes to the continent for example.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “We have always sought a strong trading relationship with the EU which reduces friction at a time of global instability. But since 2020, farming and growing businesses have been faced with significant costs, burdensome paperwork and additional checks in order to trade with partners on the continent.”
He said the government has “clearly listened” to the sector’s concerns, with the deal set to deliver “many benefits”.
But he called for the government to safeguard policy areas such as precision breeding, which farmers can use to boost food production.
Badenoch calls for youth mobility schemes with 'specific countries'
Monday 19 May 2025 15:54
,
Holly Evans
Kemi Badenoch signalled she supported the principle of youth mobility schemes with EU countries, but stressed the Government’s deal would not be beneficial to the UK.
“They are good ideas. We support them. What we do not support is non-capped, non-time limited migration,” the Conservative leader said when asked about the principle of such deals.
At a central London press conference, she added: “There is a big difference between an 18-year-old from France who’s coming for a gap year and a 30-year-old with several children who’s coming from a much poorer EU country like Bulgaria, Romania.
“What we wanted to do was have youth mobility schemes with specific countries. That is not what we will get with what this Government is negotiating.”
Shadow environment secretary says deal has 'sunk' fishing industry
Monday 19 May 2025 15:50
,
Holly Evans
“The Prime Minister has just sunk the United Kingdom fishing industry,” shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said, as the Conservatives reacted to his negotiations with the EU.
The senior Tory added: “This summit was the chance to take pride in our coastal and fishing communities, building on the agreements of five years ago, and seek a brighter future for our fishing and farming industries.”
Ms Atkins said the Tories would not have “signed a multi-year agreement which only benefits our European competitors” on fishing.
“We should adopt the international law and claim the regulatory autonomy of annual negotiations,” she added.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, meanwhile, said “nobody has lost more than fishermen” as a result of the negotiations.
Kemi Badenoch says UK-EU deal is a 'surrender'
Monday 19 May 2025 15:46
,
Holly Evans
Labour’s deal is taking the UK back to the past, Kemi Badenoch has said.
Speaking at a press conference in central London, the Conservative leader argued against Sir Keir Starmer’s insistence that the UK now had to move forward after Brexit.
“He’s the one who’s taking us backwards. We left the European Union. That was settled, we drew a line under that,” she said.
“This deal is taking us to the past and that is why we call it surrender.” Mrs Badenoch suggested Labour’s deal had broken her five tests on maintaining the UK’s Brexit freedoms.
Starmer turning Britain into Europe’s ‘gimp’, Boris Johnson claims
Monday 19 May 2025 15:39
,
Archie Mitchell
Boris Johnson has accused Sir Keir Starmer of turning Britain into the European Union’s “gimp”.
A gimp is someone who takes a submissive or subservient role in sexual activities, and the former prime minister has accused Sir Keir of taking the UK into the EU’s “sweaty embrace”.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Johnson said: “We’re going to be coughing up to the EU budgets. It's absolutely absurd. It goes against what he said. He's turning this country once again, into the orange ball-chewing, leather-trussed gimp.
“Why is Starmer taking us back into the sweaty embrace of Brussels when it's massively un