One member said the Lib Dems need to make it clear they’re committed to rejoining the EU
Lib Dem members have passed a motion pushing for the government to strengthen their EU reset deal.
The motion urges Labour to secure a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU by next year, rather than 2027 at the earliest.
The Lib Dems also want Labour to accelerate access to e-gates for UK travellers.
The motion also reaffirms their call for a ‘bespoke’ UK-EU customs union and will put pressure on Labour to implement a new EU Youth Mobility scheme.
James MacCleary MP, the Lib Dem spokesperson for Europe, said that after Labour’s EU Reset summit in May “it looked like we had lift off”. “The further we get from May the more hollow it all starts to sound,” he added.
MacCleary said that “the main prize SPS deal was announced with more fanfare than the last night at the proms, now lands in 2027 at the earliest”.
For farmers and food exporters, MacCleary said: “That is not progress, it is income lost, it is growth squandered”.
An SPS agreement will enable the “vast majority” of plant and animal products to be able to move between the UK and the EU without the certificates or controls that are currently required.
He was equally critical of Labour’s lack of a timeline for its e-gate policy for UK travellers. Labour said UK travellers would “soon” be able to use e-gates, “that appears to be based on a very loose interpretation of what soons means,” he said.
Mike Martin MP, a member of the Defence Select Committee, backed the motion, stressing the need for Labour to secure UK access to the EU’s Security Action for Europe fund.
While the £150 billion defence fund is reserved for member states, he said the move would allow British firms to partner with EU counterparts for funding and joint procurement.
Several members supported the Lib Dems’ push for a closer EU relationship. However, one member argued the motion did not go far enough.
Jack Bell, a member in Edinburgh North and Leith, said: “I like this motion but I don’t think it makes it clear whether we’re actually committed to rejoining the EU or not.”
He argued many people are not clear what the Lib Dems’ position on Brexit is and wants to see a future motion that commits to undoing Brexit.
He also urged the party to make clear to Scottish voters that rejoining the EU does not depend on Scottish independence or voting SNP.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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