Some Cabinet ministers are beginning to make the case for a youth mobility scheme with the EU despite opposition from the Home Secretary, The i Paper has been told.
Yvette Cooper has made clear she believes that a deal on easier youth migration would undermine the Government’s goal of bringing down net migration.
But there are Cabinet tensions with other ministers now making the case that the UK will have to find a compromise with Brussels or risk Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit reset faltering, given the EU’s clear demand for a scheme.
The decision on how to proceed is with the Prime Minister, with one source saying the “mood music” from No 10 remains clear that there can be no deal that hampers his goal to bring down net migration and that Starmer “can’t countenance anything that looks like freedom of movement”, one of his red lines.
But there is an increasing acknowledgement inside the UK Government that a compromise may have to be found as Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds prepares for more detailed negotiations on the reset amid a backdrop of continuing EU demands for greater youth movement.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly raised the issue of youth mobility in talks with Starmer at Chequers on Sunday, but the Prime Minister was non-committal in his response. Berlin is seen as the EU’s biggest advocate for a youth mobility deal.
It follows reports that both sides are scoping out potential “landing zones” that would see a watering down of Brussels’ original proposal for all 18-30 year-olds to be allowed to travel between the UK and EU visa-free for up to four years .
As revealed by The i Paper in October, the EU has already made clear it is willing to make concessions on its demands, including shortening the length of time under-30s will be allowed to move and rebranding it a “youth experience scheme”.
Reports in recent days suggest the UK is meanwhile likely to push for a cap on the number of EU young people moving to Britain, while Brussels’ demands for a waiving by British universities of more lucrative international fees may be another sticking point.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman earlier reiterated that the Government has “no plans” for a youth mobility scheme and that there would be “no return to freedom of movement”.
But the spokesman refused to deny that there had been discussions with the EU and between ministers on youth mobility, saying only that he was “not going to get into a running commentary”.
A No 10 source added that they “do not recognise” suggestions of Cabinet tensions.
It came as Starmer was expecting to discuss more about his planned Brexit reset over dinner with EU leaders in Brussels on Monday night.
While the talks are focused on security and defence following the election of Donald Trump, both sides expect some discussion of Starmer and the EU’s wider reset goals covering areas like migration and trade.
Earlier the Prime Minister said the UK will “stay resolute” in its commitment to working with both the US and the EU as he insisted that Britain is “not choosing between” them.
Speaking at a press conference in the Belgian capital alongside Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, Sir Keir said the UK will “stay resolute” in its commitment to working with both the EU and the US because to do so is in the best interests of both Britain and global security.
The Prime Minister also said he has been clear that both relationships “are important to us”, when asked if he would be willing to water down the UK’s reset with the European bloc to keep Washington on side.
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