Brexit reset is big moment, but whisper it quietly

UK PRIME Minister Keir Starmer completed on Monday (May 19) his third significant, recent international deal with a Brexit reset with the European Union. Yet, don’t expect him to give a victory lap any time soon, despite his current need for political wins.

The UK government is clearly pleased with the Brexit agreement: Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds gave it “eight of 10”, while Starmer said that “Britain is back on the world stage”. The deal builds from the recent UK-India trade agreement, and the UK-US tariff deal.

The EU accord covers agri-food and fishing, defence, plus energy. The UK government claims the net impact will add nearly 10 billion euros (S$14.6 billion) – around 0.3 per cent of GDP – to the UK economy by 2040.