Keir Starmer is set to face fresh battles over his EU “reset” as the government plans to lay a bill which could hand ministers significant powers to forge closer ties with Brussels. The legislation aims to introduce an alignment mechanism for the agrifoods, and electricity trading deals agreed with EU leaders but still under negotiation. The bill will hand ministers powers to go beyond what the UK has agreed so far, giving future administrations the power to potentially align standards in other sectors and keep pace with new EU regulation. The government plans for the bill to run in parallel with the negotiations with Brussels, meaning MPs will start voting on it before the deal is finalised. Government sources said they were braced for major battles but it would be an opportunity for Starmer to defend closer ties with Europe as a way of reviving the UK economy. The bill is expected to be introduced in the next few months and carried over into the next parliamentary session. Starmer’s spokesperson said on Monday it was possible the UK could negotiate further sector-by-sector access – often likened to a “Swiss-style” deal – and that it might be prepared to pay for it. “The deals we’re striking involve huge benefits to British taxpayers by supporting British businesses, backing British jobs and putting more money into people’s pockets, and in total, they’ll add nearly £9bn to our economy by 2040,” they added.
(Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor, The Guardian)
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