At the beginning of the new year, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a sharp statement that many politicians and media outlets are already calling the most unexpected turn in British politics since Brexit.
In an interview with the BBC, the prime minister announced that a special bill was being prepared that would give ministers broad powers to dynamically align British legislation with EU standards in key sectors. This involves a phased convergence with the EU single market “as necessary and in the national interest” — particularly in the areas of food standards, animal welfare, pesticides, electricity trading, and carbon allowances.
“We are not going to endlessly rehash old arguments about Brexit. We are looking ahead. If closer interaction with the single market helps reduce bureaucracy, increase trade, and support growth, we should do it,” Starmer said.
According to government sources, the bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament in the coming months. This will be the most significant step toward rapprochement with the EU since the UK left the union in 2020.
The Conservatives and Reform UK have accused the prime minister of “betraying Brexit” and attempting to “surrender sovereignty to Brussels.” Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said, “Starmer is trying to overturn the decision of the British people to please his Europhile backbenchers.”
At the same time, some Labour and Liberal Democrats welcome the initiative, considering it insufficiently bold — they are demanding a full return to the customs union.