EU Fights to Keep UK on the Outside of a Pan‑European Trade Deal
The European Commission has voted against a UK move to jump into the Pan‑Euro‑Mediterranean (PEM) trade pact. Why? Two big worries: Labour might not be pushing hard enough for a closer EU tie‑up and Reform UK under Nigel Farage could stir up trouble if the UK finally slips in.
Why the Commission is Said to Be Fiddling
- They fear the UK could push certain goods into the EU market with “low‑tariff” status that other countries might view as unfair.
- Polls hint at a Reform‑led government the next time the polls bite – a scenario the Commission says is too risky to let the UK slip in now.
- Labour’s internal tug‑of‑war – with Keir Starmer’s leadership under scrutiny – makes the Commission doubt the party can keep the UK’s EU‑friendly agenda alive.
Rejoin EU Party’s Take
John Stevens, the party’s deputy leader and a former MEP, slammed the decision as “a missed chance to halve trade friction” for staples like fruit and veggies. He says:
“The UK wants economic ease, but we’re stuck on the sidelines. We need to get back inside the single market and customs union, big‑time.”
Would Re‑entering the EU Help?
- It could quickly plug the UK’s £40 billion‑a‑year black hole in the budgets.
- By joining, we’d also sidestep the nasty gamble of Farage’s Reform cheering for a “vassal state” under Trump or Putin.
- Ultimately, the party urges Labour to roll up their sleeves, ditch the right‑wing nuisance agenda, and start kicking the economy in the right direction.
So the big question turns to the UK’s party politics: will we go for the PPE or keep pushing the borders wide? The answer could decide whether we stay pesky, job‑losing outsiders or step back into the heart of Europe’s trade engine.
