Starmer’s back on his path to rejoin…or as he calls it, “reset the relationship”, with the EU today, visiting German Chancellor Scholz to discuss what the UK and EU will collaborate on in the future. It’s a long list: “market access, critical science, innovation and tech, clean energy, trade across the North Sea, supply chain resilience, energy security and green transition education, biodiversity, and the environment.” ‘Market access’ and ‘trade across the North Sea’ will be sounding the alarm bells for Brexiteers who were promised the UK would have its independence from the bloc…

Number 10 are sticking to the line that Starmer’s push for closer ties with the EU is all about “economic growth”, despite the UK outperforming many EU countries in that area – last quarter, the UK’s GDP grew by 0.6% compared to Germany’s 0.3%, the Union’s so-called powerhouse. Meanwhile, Starmer has been cautioned against cosying up to bloc by top economists, who’ve said this will actually drive down growth. EU sources have reportedly warned that if Starmer wants collaboration on these issues listed above, the UK will be obliged to align with European laws such as food safety and further regulations. No amount of press briefings that Starmer isn’t planning to rejoin will pull the wool over Guido’s eyes…