With Keir Starmer’s Labour government in power, UK-EU relations may see a cautious shift toward cooperation. While rejoining the EU is not on the table, Labour’s softer stance opens doors for closer ties in areas like security and trade. Starmer aims to balance Brexit’s legacy with a pragmatic approach to Europe—setting the stage for a renewed, albeit limited, partnership.

Brexit’s reverberations continue to shape UK-EU relations years after the official exit, but the new Labour government under Keir Starmer signals a potential shift from the confrontational stance of past leadership. What can the EU expect from this new era, and how might the relationship evolve beyond the ‘divorce’ years? 

It is clear that the United Kingdom will not re-join the union, at least not in the coming decades. Even the new prime minister of the UK has made it clear that a potential British membership would not be possible within his lifetime. Although the UK may not re-enter the European Union and have the British flag in the hemicycle, closer ties between the two seem more likely with the new government and their policy towards their former political adversary. This is in part because the European Union has not been an enemy in the eyes of the Labour Party as it has in the eyes of the Conservatives. This is not to say that Labour is ready to jump back into the arms of the EU-system, but that the new government led by Keir Starmer sees some reason to strengthening the ties, because it would benefit the United Kingdom, e.g. in the realm of national security.

There is, however, a lot of work to be done, before a constructive relationship between the UK and the EU can be established. In the realm of soft politics, the political and diplomatic ties between the two have to be mended and trust be built again. And it seems as if the new Starmer-government is ready to do exactly that and reset the relationship with the EU, which became clear at the start of the new prime minister’s term, as he said: “We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future.” This will then become one of the first steps towards a new kind of relationship between the two, but it is still naive to think that the EU will just let go of former discord. It would not only set a dangerous precedent for future countries seeking to make their exit from the union, but some will also argue, that bonds of trust have to be rebuilt before the relationship can start over.

Interest in a partnership comes from both sides

Even though the two parties have had their fights and tumultuous times, they both have an interest in having closer ties not only economically but also strategically. And they may have a soon coming opportunity to do exactly that, as the Brexit agreement is to be reviewed in 2025. Labour has already talked about opening up for more “youth mobility” to strengthen ties and boost cooperation with the EU. But Europe is also facing challenging times with a war on the continent and a war which both the European Union and the United Kingdom are invested in. The prime minister has made it clear multiple times that the UK’s support towards Ukraine remains “rock solid” and so has president von der Leyen.

We will most likely see a strengthened common commitment to investing in the success of Ukraine, but the UK has already had individual talks with member states, and this could prevail as the most common way forward for Britain in many regards, as there still is a lot of subjects, where the member states can act on their own. Now this does not equate that the UK will be able to make individual trade agreements, as this is still within the competency of the union, but it would not be surprising to see other kinds of agreements. Looking at joint action of the UK and the EU, we already see that they have introduced joint sanctions towards Russia as a response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Security in general is also going to be an area, where the Starmer-government can display a willingness towards closer cooperation with the EU without having to delve into thorny subjects, more specifically with the negotiations of a UK-EU Security Pact. The negotiations would address a genuine and pending issue though we do not currently know what an agreement would look like in practice, some already speculate that it could include things like enhanced foreign policy coordination like the EU already does with Canada but also the possibility of UK-participation in EU-led operations like the ones in the Balkan region. But our current knowledge about the agreement is still quite small, so the agreement could also be much lighter and of a more superficial character. Regardless of the extent of the agreement, it would be an easy way for the UK-government to set a new precedent for how and how much it wants to work with the EU.

Striking a Brexit-balance

The shift from a Tory-led (conservative) government to a Labour-led one will still face the same daunting task given to it by the people of the United Kingdom, namely that Brexit was chosen by a majority of the Brits and the government having to respect this democratic decision, while at the same time trying to forge a better relationship with the EU. Naturally, this cannot be boiled down to merely a moral dilemma, as the two parties also have very different outlooks on the EU. The Tories were Brexit-hardliners, although they also made some pragmatic adjustments to the relationship with the EU, like the adoption of the Windsor Framework or the rejoining of the EU’s Horizon Science Programme. In general, however, Labour has set forward a much more EU-positive course, while not attempting a full on rejoining process. 

As mentioned before, this also puts Labour and the new government in a situation, where they have to be more careful about how they proceed with strengthening ties to the EU. This is naturally only taking the referendum into account and disregarding the developments in recent years, with a substantial number of Brits regretting the decision to leave the Union. There has even been coined a new expression: ‘Bregret’. It is therefore not as crystal-clear to determine what actions a UK-government can take towards strengthening the ties with the EU, even if they may want to do so. 

At the same time as many feel ‘bregret’, some are still fueled by an immense resistance to the EU, like the most prominent Brexiteer Nigel Farrage and his Reform UK party. So much so that the party obtained 14.3% of the popular vote in the 2024 general election. This shows that there still is a lot of Britons, who do not feel regret like some of their countrymen. 

Starmer’s government faces an electorate that remains divided on Europe. While ‘Bregret’ sentiment has gained traction, polling at around 14% for Reform UK reveals a persistent Eurosceptic faction. To maintain domestic support, Labour will need to tread carefully, signalling collaboration without erasing the political identity of a ‘Brexit Britain.’ The advisors in Downing Street 10 will have to look deep into their toolbox to make sure that the electors, who put faith into them also want a milder course towards the EU.

While neither side anticipates a return to pre-Brexit conditions, the UK’s evolving foreign policy under Starmer could pave the way for a renewed, albeit limited, partnership with the EU. Much will depend on how flexible both parties can be in accommodating each other’s strategic interests without compromising core values—a task that may define European politics for the coming decade. It will be no easy feat for the new government, but there is no doubt that it will set forward a more EU-positive path for the future. But to what extent the integration will be is still up in the air.