Britain and Germany look set to strike a new deal on defence, with both countries preparing to sign a comprehensive treaty in the weeks ahead.
The pact will treat any threat to one signatory as a threat to both, committing each to mutual aid in the event of conflict.
This pact will build upon a joint declaration drawn up last summer and discussed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany’s then-chancellor Olaf Scholz. At the time, both linked the prospect of more military spending to future economic growth.
With the text of the treaty now reportedly close to completion, signing on July 17th looks likely, prior to the scheduled parliamentary recess in both countries. It is expected to be more comprehensive than just a military pact, with the German Foreign Office stating that the “treaty will deal with the entire range of our relations.”
Controversially, this is likely to include another attempt at instituting a ‘youth mobility scheme’ for 18 to 30 age group, representing a further dilution of Brexit and another unwelcome indicator of Starmer’s failure to control migrant numbers.
