UK-EU Deal Will Lead to Return of Free Movement

After spending months denying that a ‘youth mobility scheme’ was in the works, Keir Starmer’s government has finally admitted that such an agreement is being pursued. Critics warn that this is the start of a slippery slope resulting in free movement with the European Union, Brexit be damned.

EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told the Financial Times on Wednesday that such a scheme—allowing adults from the EU under the age of 30 to remain in the UK (and vice versa) for a certain period of time—“would of course have benefits for our young people.” He tried to caveat this by stressing the deal would need to be “smart” and “controlled.”

Starmer’s spokesman also said his team was open to “sensible” proposals. But Robert Bates, from the Centre for Migration Control, told europeanconservative.com that “there’s no such thing as a ‘sensible’ youth mobility scheme with Europe.”

Bates stressed that the number of Britons going to work in Europe would be “vastly outweighed” by those moving the other way, adding immense pressure to the UK’s already struggling housing market and reducing job opportunities.

Young Brits already have an awful deal in this country and this will only be worsened by allowing thousands of people from the continent to compete in the lower end of our job market.

He added that ‘youth mobility’ would not be the end of the story—just as Labour went from denying the existence of these plans to throwing its arms open to Brussels, this migration policy could soon grow far bigger than is currently reported.

We have seen time and again over the years that any agreement with the continent, no matter how benign it may begin, will eventually grow out of all recognition and there should be legitimate concerns that any such deal on youth mobility would similarly disfigure into the reintroduction of free movement.

Another stick, then, with which Nigel Farage’s Reform can beat Labour, already suffering because of its countless border failures. Starmer’s cause isn’t helped by the fact that his own MPs believe he is “not listening” to their proposals for change and that he’d rather “avoid” his parliamentary officials “when s**t gets awkward.”