Why the EU should be watching closely as the UK prepares to head to the polls

Analysts say that a likely Labour-led government could offer new-found stability to a recently tumultuous UK-EU relationship.

Transcript

00:00The United Kingdom is heading into its first general election since it formally exited

00:06the European Union. But the two main candidates, Jocelyn for power, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer

00:13have chosen to swerve the issue of Brexit on the campaign trail.

00:19So both main parties have tried to discuss Brexit as little as possible. The reason on

00:23the conservative side is that Boris Johnson was elected promising to get Brexit done but

00:28since then voters have been quite disappointed with what has been delivered. So Rishi Sunak

00:33doesn't want to draw attention to that on the campaign trail. And for Labour, Keir Starmer

00:37of course is trying to win back seats in the Red Wall which voted for leave in 2016.

00:42Labour leader Keir Starmer, on the cusp of power, has said he will reinvigorate the EU-UK

00:48ties that have been strained since Brexit. But he has kept details vague and has ruled

00:53out joining the EU's single market or customs union or reinstating free movement. Brussels

00:59is unlikely to let the UK cherry pick its way to a better deal.

01:03It seems to me that Labour has kind of painted itself into a corner a bit by continually

01:07saying here are three things that we're not going to do. They have limited their room

01:13for manoeuvre and they've limited their ability to negotiate a better deal with the EU.

01:19With war raging on Europe's doorstep, analysts also say a likely Labour-led UK government

01:25could seek closer EU collaboration on security and defence. The UK is a key NATO ally and

01:31already aligned with the bloc on support for Ukraine but a more pro-European Labour government

01:36could seek to work even closer with Brussels.

01:38A lot of the EU's recent initiatives and projects in this area have been focused on bolstering

01:45defence industrial production. But many of those initiatives and projects don't include

01:50third countries. They're deliberately focused on EU member state industries. So it's going

01:55to be a difficult issue or a difficult thing to negotiate whether the UK can be part of

02:00them or whether the UK wants to be part of them.

02:02There are many high stakes elections happening across the world this year that could tip

02:06the geopolitical balance. Donald Trump's potential return to the White House could leave Europe

02:12more alone in defending itself and propping up Ukraine. But it looks like Brussels will

02:18be able to count on a more pro-EU government here in London and one that will potentially

02:23want to work closer on defence and security.

02:27Marit Gwynn for Euronews in London.