00:00.
00:07My guest today is Nick Thomas-Simmons, the UK's Minister for European Union Relations.
00:13We speak just ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum and as the UK and
00:20EU prepare for a July summit where they're expected to close a series of deals on agri-food
00:26exports, electricity and a youth experience scheme.
00:31We discuss the geopolitical and economic consequences of Brexit and about the challenges facing the
00:38Prime Minister Keir Starmer as his government looks like it's on increasingly fragile ground.
00:46Minister Nick Thomas-Simmons, thank you so much for speaking to Euronews.
00:50It's been 10 years since the UK voted to leave the European Union and as we speak Brexit
00:56is back at the heart of UK politics.
00:59I'd like to ask you first, do you think that your government is making Brexit work for the
01:05UK?
01:05Well first of all it's great to join you.
01:08And yes, we are making it work and that's been my job as the UK's lead negotiator with
01:15the EU over these past two years, but also the work I did before that when we were in
01:19opposition.
01:20We delivered last year the common understanding in May, the very important security and defence
01:27partnership complementing that foundation stone of our security and defence policy, NATO.
01:33But also I was particularly delighted to have signed the reaccession to Erasmus Plus just
01:40before Christmas.
01:41But also we have the package that we want to agree at this year's UK-EU summit.
01:48But on the economic relationship, do you think you've been moving quick enough on this because
01:54there are recent studies that show that perhaps Brexit has taken a hit of up to 6-8% on
01:59GDP per
02:00head, for example. Have you moved quick enough to restore those economic trade ties?
02:06We are certainly moving very quickly. And I would also say that I inherited a status quo that
02:15wasn't working. There's no doubt about the damage that the previous government's handling
02:20of Brexit did. And that's exactly been my role, looking at changing that trading relationship,
02:28building a closer UK-EU relationship. Let me just say why that is so important, because
02:33we do live now in a very changed world to the one of 10 years ago. We live in a
02:39world of trading
02:40blocks. And it is so important that whilst respecting the result of the 2016 referendum and acting on the
02:48mandate we have from the 2024 general election, but not going back to freedom of movement, the
02:54customs union or the single market, of course, we respect those who are delivering on our mandate
02:58from 2024. But that closer UK-EU partnership in this world of trading blocks is a fundamental part of
03:06our foreign policy as well.
03:07I must ask you, Minister, because your government is on fragile ground and there is an imminent
03:13leadership contest, some would say. And one of the challenges of the former health secretary,
03:18West Streeting, has described Brexit as a catastrophic mistake, saying that the future of Britain is in the
03:24European Union. Do you, to an extent, agree with him?
03:28I don't think this is the moment to rerun the arguments of 2016. I think this is a point to
03:34look
03:34forward, not back. And I think in looking forward, what we are doing is building, and I am building
03:43week by week, that closer UK-EU relationship, and doing so in the international context that we find
03:51ourselves in. So it has a number of dimensions. Working more closely on security and defence,
03:57absolutely fundamental with our European partners. Working on energy security, and that's why I've been,
04:04in recent weeks, I've formally, together with Mara Stefkovic, open negotiations on UK participation in the
04:10internal electricity market. And I'm doing that so that we are able to deliver that energy security going
04:16forward, but also to try to bear down on bills as well. But also on trade and food security. These
04:23are
04:23fundamentals of our policy going forward, delivering for people in the UK, but also it's in the EU's
04:29interest as well. There is polling, Minister, that suggests that the public perception, opinion on
04:35Brexit has shifted, that a majority of people now would support rejoining the EU. And this is coming up
04:41in the public debate. And do you think there is a case to be made for that, especially given the
04:47situation you've just described of trading blocks, of geopolitical friction, and so on?
04:53Well, I think that public opinion is not far from where the government is, actually. I think the
04:58government's position is broadly supported by public opinion. I don't detect, and I've been
05:03up and down the country campaigning over many years, a desire to rerun arguments that took place
05:10between 2016 and 2019-20 in the UK. I want to ask you about your talks with Maros Shevkovic,
05:16the EU's trade chief. I know you've been in very close touch with him over the past years.
05:22You are seeking closer alignment with the single markets, but you're keeping those red lines,
05:27no entry into the single markets or the customs union or freedom of movement. How faithful are you
05:32this approach will work? Well, it has been working. It delivered the common understanding
05:39last year. It's already delivering benefits, and I'm very confident it will continue to deliver
05:45benefits for the British people across this parliament. Let me just give some specific examples,
05:50because let's talk about the food and drink agreement. Now, those who oppose the work I am
05:55doing are saying to businesses in the agricultural and agri-food sectors that the situation we have
06:01at the moment, where we've had to have over a million export health certificates,
06:05up to £200 a time issued to UK businesses, UK exporters since 2023. I've held one of these. I've
06:13been presented with one of these by a business. Pages and pages, dozens of wet stamps all over it. I
06:21want to take away that red tape. I want to take away that cost from businesses. Those who oppose what
06:26I'm doing will have to explain to those businesses why they want to reimpose them.
06:30You mentioned you're negotiating a series of new deals. You sound very positive on the SPS,
06:35on the agri-food exports, as well as the carbon emissions trading system. I want to ask you about
06:39the third aspect of this, which is youth experience or youth mobility. How is this going? Because you
06:47officials have been telling me that it is tough to close this deal by the summer. What are the bones
06:54of contention here? I think with the youth experience scheme, it's very important that we do have
06:59both the limit, the cap, but also particular time limits as well. And I've always seen the youth
07:07experience scheme in the context of the UK's 13 existing youth mobility schemes. But listen,
07:14of course we will have, over the period left before we have this annual summit, we are going to have,
07:22of course, pressures to close final bits of the negotiation. I'm very, very used to that. But we
07:27shouldn't lose sight of the bigger picture here because the youth experience scheme will have
07:32real opportunities in it, of course for young Europeans, but for young Brits as well, who are
07:39going to be able, as we've always seen it, to have a very broad scheme around study, around work and
07:45around travel. But when I reflect on the last 10 years, you know, post Brexit, consequences of what the
07:52previous conservative governments did. It was opportunities for young people. It was one of
07:57the things that really bothered me, that opportunities that previously existed no longer did. And I am
08:02very proud of what we are now going to be put forward to young people. And I think the youth
08:06experience
08:06scheme is going to be a really positive part of that. Can I ask you what type of caps are
08:10you looking at?
08:10What type of limits for young youth citizens coming to stay, work in the UK? What are the numbers?
08:16Well, listen, I have to give you the government minister answer here, which is, of course, that
08:20these are ongoing negotiations at the moment. But in terms of the parameters of the youth experience
08:25scheme, they're written down in the common understanding we signed last year.
08:28And are you confident that the Brussels attaches as much importance to this as you do as a government?
08:35Because some would say the time is on their side. They're not in a rush.
08:38I really do. And I say that because not just because of my relationship with Mara Sefcovic, but
08:44as you can imagine, I've got to know the lead officials in the commission very, very well over
08:49the past two years or more. And I could never fault the amount of time and urgency that they have
08:57given
08:57to this and certainly to me over the past couple of years. That's never been an issue.
09:00And minister, how confident are you that this will be wrapped up?
09:04I am very confident of closing this deal. Of course, we will get moments, as you always do,
09:12moments of difficulty in the final parts of negotiation. But I'm very confident
09:15of closing this deal and delivering a very successful 2026 summit.
09:19We know that Reform UK, the party of Nigel Farage, is topping the polls. That is the reality.
09:25Does that mean that you're looking to Farage proof, let's say, these deals to make sure that
09:31a prospective future anti-European government here in London does not undo the important work,
09:38as you say, that you've been doing?
09:40Well, first of all, if a party at the next general election wants to put the costs back
09:46on businesses that I propose to take off or take away the opportunities to young people
09:50that this government has delivered, I would relish that debate. But the point is this. When you talk
09:55about durability of arrangements, in any international context, durable arrangements
10:01that last for many years are because they deliver for both sides. And the best thing to make any deal
10:07durable is to ensure that it's delivering for young people, it's delivering for businesses,
10:12it's delivering for, in this case, obviously, the British public, but also Europeans as well.
10:16I am very confident that we are going to do that.
10:19Finally, Minister, final question. I want to come back to the situation of the Prime Minister,
10:24Keir Starmer. Brexit has emerged as one of the issues that could define a potential leadership
10:32contest. I know that you work very closely with him in your role in restoring EU ties. Do you think
10:42at this point there should be a slight shift in his strategy? Does he need to be a little bit
10:49more ambitious, more bold in calling for even more collaboration with the European Union? Is that
10:56the way to go? Has he been too hesitant, too careful not to alienate those red wall traditional Labour
11:03voters that support Brexit? No, he has been ambitious. And indeed, throughout this calendar year,
11:09we've been talking not just about delivering the summit, but how we want to deliver beyond the summit as
11:14well. And I think the Prime Minister has been both ambitious on UK, EU, and just look, you're
11:20interviewing me here as we speak in the Cabinet Office. I'm right next door to the Prime Minister.
11:27This agenda is so important to this Prime Minister. I've always had his personal authority to do this
11:33job right at the centre of the government. And that's been the case since July 2024. So this has always
11:39been a
11:40top priority for the Prime Minister. Second, he's always shown not just ambition, but also shown that he
11:47and this government can deliver. And it's that delivery that's the most important thing.
11:52Okay. Minister Nick Thomas-Symons, thank you for speaking to us. Thank you.
11:55Minister Nick Thomas-Symons.
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