Keir Starmer is coming under increasing pressure to change his stance on the Youth Mobility Scheme, which would enable individuals under the age of 30 to move freely between the European Union and the United Kingdom and will also allow them to rejoin the Erasmus programme for students.
A petition that the pro-EU European Movement started and that supports both programs has 50,000 signatures in an effort to put more pressure on the Labour administration to accept the proposal.
The new Prime Minister has made a commitment to renegotiate the defective agreement that Boris Johnson struck with the European Union. This week, he started working on the matter by initiating discussions for a new bilateral agreement with Germany, which is expected to be finalised within the next six months.
Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, and Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, were among the people the prime minister met with during his whistlestop visit to Germany and France.
In addition, Sir Keir made it very clear that he would not be willing to agree to the Youth Mobility Scheme during the press conference that took place in Berlin. He also stressed that he would adhere to the red lines that he had set for himself, which included not reversing Brexit, not reintroducing free movement of people, and not entering the single market or the customs union.
According to several reports, he intended to “leave the door open” in regards to the Germans’ ardent support for the youth mobility policy. Furthermore, it was reported that he would even be willing to explore the possibility of free movement of people in a more general sense. On the other hand, a source from Downing Street stated that this was “not true” and “nonsense.”
“We are not considering it; there are no plans for this or any work being done on it,” declared the source. “We are not even considering it.”
Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, who has emerged as a crucial friend for Starmer in the renegotiation, is believed to be strongly interested in the United Kingdom and the European Union reaching an agreement on the plans.
One of the most significant objections levelled against Brexit was that it hindered the prospects available to young people, particularly in the United Kingdom, by depriving them the opportunity to travel freely, reside in the EU, and find employment there.
Cecilia Jastrzembska, President of the Young European Movement, made the following statement in response to the significant milestone reached with the signatures for the petition: “The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union has had a devastating impact on opportunities for young people, particularly our withdrawal from the Erasmus student exchange scheme.”
“The quiet that has been surrounding the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union needs to be broken, and collaboration between us needs to be agreed upon in a reasonable and sincere manner. Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to build relations with our European neighbours are something that YEM UK is looking forward to.