Britain’s EU point man says reset deal can be done by summer

LONDON — A deal to re-align key parts of the U.K. economy with the European Union is on course to be reached by the early summer, according to the minister in charge of negotiations with Europe, Nick Thomas-Symonds.

Britain’s Minister for European Relations told POLITICO’s Westminster Insider podcast that, despite fraught talks over tuition fees for European students and the limits of a youth mobility scheme, he has made “very significant progress” with his EU counterpart, Maroš Šefčovič.

Thomas-Symonds confirmed that a commitment to conclude the reset by the end of this year will feature in the King’s Speech, outlining the government’s legislative program, on 13 May. A U.K.-EU summit has been scheduled for late June or July to lay out the details, as well as priorities for future talks.

Challenged on the view that European capitals have been less enthusiastic than Britain at the prospect of a post-Brexit rapprochement with the EU, Thomas-Symonds insisted the timetable and ambitions remained firm. “The bill will introduce the mechanism of alignment — and I would expect that to be completed by the end of 2026 and to have completed its parliamentary passage by then,” he said.

‘Hardball’

His bullish comments follow a bruising setback to talks after EU officials insisted European students studying at U.K. universities should pay “home” fees of about £9,500 a year in England and Wales as part of any youth mobility scheme arrangements, rather than the much higher international rate paid to universities which host them.

The sudden demand, which U.K officials said was not mentioned in the original framework agreement, has unleashed panic in Britain’s university sector, where it is projected to cost higher education institutions up to £140 million a year.

Dismissing the demands as out of scope for any agreement between London and Brussels, Thomas-Symonds suggested that the fees stand-off would not impede a deal in the end, quipping:“I certainly play hardball — and Maroš (also) plays hardball in the negotiations.”

The youth mobility scheme, however, has proved persistently hard to square, as the U.K. insists on an absolute cap on numbers of young people allowed to live, study, and work in the country under the plan. The European side has countered with proposals to allow Britain to impose a temporarily halt if numbers rise beyond an agreed level.

Thomas-Symonds did not rule out some compromise on the mechanism, saying, “We are very clear about the need for a limit (to numbers), and that is the basis upon which we are negotiating,” but dismissed claims that the talks were stalling. “Some of these stories are not indicative of how well we’ve been progressing … It is a situation where both sides can win, whether it’s from security and defense and in terms of energy, particularly energy at the moment.”

No time for ‘instability’

A close personal ally of the prime minister in Cabinet, Thomas-Symonds claimed that Starmer’s “calm, clear leadership” in the Iran crisis might stave off a potential leadership challenge after May elections, as the government resists demands to join the war from the U.S. president. Thomas-Symonds predicted Starmer would be in post at the end of 2026 — “and after that.”

“I don’t think this is the moment to go back into instability,” he told POLITICO, as Labour MPs consider whether to move against a leader struggling in the polls. “I think we’ve seen what the chopping and changing of leaders did to the Conservatives in recent years, and I think the leadership that the prime minister has demonstrated on Iran in particular shows how, absolutely, we have the right prime minister for our time.”

Starmer on Wednesday argued that the “volatile” international situation requires Britain to build a closer relationship with the EU.

Stepping into that volatility later this month is King Charles III, who prepares to visit the U.S. on a state visit at a time Donald Trump has been hurling brickbats at Britain. Thomas-Symonds suggested the monarch might need to show lip-biting restraint during his stateside trip. “The King is a significant and subtle diplomat,” the minister said. “He displays these skills on every occasion on the world stage.”

As a Labour historical biographer before he became a minister, would Thomas-Symonds compare Starmer to one of his subjects, the wily 1970s premier, Harold Wilson? Thomas-Symonds saw parallels in “Wilson’s renegotiation of our relationship with the then European institutions, having deal with the consequences of an oil price shock after war in the Middle East. and calm leadership.”

Reminded that Wilson resigned suddenly in 1976 amid rumors of ill-health and Labour infighting, Thomas-Symonds shot back: “He resigned at a time entirely of his own choosing.”