🚨🚨 Characteristically sound work by @rafaelbehr.bsky.social here addressing the slowly dragging EU-UK "reset" which is clearly lacking the urgency on both sides of the channel needed for making any real substantial progress on policy. #brexit 🧵 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... - ThreadSky

profjacob.bsky.social • 17 days ago

🚨🚨 Characteristically sound work by @rafaelbehr.bsky.social here addressing the slowly dragging EU-UK "reset" which is clearly lacking the urgency on both sides of the channel needed for making any real substantial progress on policy. #brexit 🧵 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/05/keir-starmer-uk-european-union-brexit-reset

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profjacob.bsky.social•17 days ago

"Five years since leaving the EU, Britain is still negotiating Brexit. This time next year, Britain will still be negotiating Brexit. And for every foreseeable year after that. That isn’t a comment on the scope of the “reset” in relations that Starmer outlined at a Brussels summit this week." /2

profjacob.bsky.social•17 days ago

"It is a statement of fact that Britain is tethered to the EU by forces of geography, economics and geopolitics, and those factors didn’t cease to exist when membership of the club was terminated. And since the European project is always evolving in response to global events, Britain will ...

profjacob.bsky.social•17 days ago

also continually seek adjustment to the terms of the relationship. Starmer's ambitions also happen to be relatively modest. He has chosen to operate in a claustrophobic niche, trying to expand cooperation in Brussels without rubbing against Eurosceptic sensitivities back home." /4

profjacob.bsky.social•17 days ago

"The PM’s opening bid is a new security partnership, which is something the EU wants from Britain and that isn’t covered by the TCA. Closer cooperation on defence is intended as the first easy step in a new relationship, building trust and serving a mutual interest." /5

profjacob.bsky.social•17 days ago

Most EU governments see plenty of reasons in a scary, volatile world to receive Starmer’s overture with open arms. Russia is waging a war of territorial aggression on the continent’s eastern flank & runs campaigns of systematic sabotage & malign influence to destabilise European democracies. /6

profjacob.bsky.social•17 days ago

Trump is blowing up the foundations of the transatlantic alliance with no concept of relationships based on reciprocal interest/alignment by values. Where once there were treaties, now there is a mafia-style protection racket. Pay tribute to the boss.. or take a punishment in tariffs. /7

davidnice.bsky.social•17 days ago

I shall never understand why Labour ever had red lines on rejoining the Customs Union - extreme timidity which is eating away at its image now (along with so much else).

thelittlesaint.bsky.social•17 days ago

In reality, Jacob, it’s for the United Kingdom to make its advances.

The EU position was always clear that the door would always remain open but, it is the inept UK, that has to walk back through it and give its citizens, their rights back, rights that were stolen. #KeepUpTheGoodWork

wokey42.bsky.social•17 days ago

Starmer needs to get up one day and announce "Fuck Brexit, it is a cancer in our economy, society and culture. A cancer needs to be excised not appeased. We are going to do all we can to reverse this disastrous policy, and we are going to start right fucking now."

johnnycopperhead.bsky.social•17 days ago

Unfortunately the Labour government are pretty much hamstrung by their terror of how the UK (billionaire owned and very right-wing) Press will portray any UK/EU cooperation!

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