Summary

  1. 'This is a pitiful return' - Conservative leaderpublished at 13:03 British Summer Time 20 May

    "It is a lot of spin to disguise the terrible substance," Badenoch continues.

    The Tory leader says people want "honesty" on what has been discussed as she takes aim at the defence deal which she describes as "hopelessly one sided".

    "This is a pitiful return," Badenoch adds.

    "Can the prime minister explain why there is not a single word in the statement about how much is going to Brussels?"

    Badenoch concludes her response by accusing Starmer of not listening.

    Media caption,

    'When Labour negotiates Britain loses,' Badenoch says

  2. This is not a deal - it's a discussion, Badenoch sayspublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 20 May

    Badenoch says the truth is most of what was announced yesterday was not a deal, it is simply an agreement to enter into more of a discussion that we are already having.

    The PM is boasting we will now avoid e-gate queues, but this isn't true as some airports already allow it, Badenoch hits out.

    The deal is a lot of spin to disguise the terrible substance, she adds.

    She goes onto criticise the youth mobility scheme, saying there are no details on any caps, or time limit - which the PM said a few moments ago there are.

  3. Why is PM selling fishermen down the river?published at 12:58 British Summer Time 20 May

    Badenoch continues by listing the prime minister's "failings", adding that it is very easy to sign deals if you are "prepared to give everything away for pennies".

    Speaking about the negative reaction to the deal from some fishermen, she asks: "Why is he selling fishermen down the river?"

    On energy, Badenoch says Starmer has "shackled" the UK to the EU's emissions trading scheme, meaning the government is tied to Brussels when it comes to trying to lower the cost of energy.

    She goes on to say the EU deal will unravel parts of the India trade deal the government just negotiated. Badenoch says this is a "betrayal", and will result in higher bills.

    Badenoch accuses Starmer of breaking his promise on protecting British interests, which lasted about as long as "his commitment to protect pensioners' winter fuel allowance".

  4. Badenoch calls UK-EU deal a 'loss' for Britainpublished at 12:57 British Summer Time 20 May

    Kemi Badenoch speaks in House of Commons

    Next Kemi Badenoch gets to her feet to begin her response. She starts by saying "when Labour negotiates Britain loses".

    The Conservative leader describes Starmer's "hat-trick of deals" as "own goals".

    She tells the House of Commons the deals are "bad for bills, bad for jobs, bad for borders".

    Badenoch says this should have been an opportunity to improve terms for the UK but instead she argues it is "an improvement for the EU".

  5. PM: Labour is putting Britain's working people firstpublished at 12:55 British Summer Time 20 May

    Starmer's speech has taken an energetic turn. He's now painting the deal with the EU as a historic victory for his government.

    For years, we were told such a deal couldn't be done, he says.

    "What they meant is they couldn't do it," he goes on, to cheers from his side of the chamber.

    He says emphatically that Labour is fighting for the national interest and putting British people first.

    "That is what these deals represent. A signal we are back on the world stage. A global champion of free trade playing a historic role on European security."

    Finally, he says the deal will help the bottom line for working people in the UK, though doesn't further elaborate.

  6. EU-UK partnership is delivering for Britain - Starmerpublished at 12:54 British Summer Time 20 May

    Starmer says the reaction to the deal from business has been "absolutely clear" - so much so that he doesn't have the time to run through all of the support.

    His comment gets quite the reaction from his peers, and he begins to list a number of responses from companies and organisations.

    He goes on to say that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has been dismissive, and that Reform UK's Nigel Farage doesn't understand that "if your whole approach to our allies is about striking a pose, then you don't get to strike a deal".

    He reiterates that his partnership delivers for Britain.

    Media caption,

    Starmer on trade deals: 'Britain is back on the world stage'

  7. 'British food is back on the menu'published at 12:53 British Summer Time 20 May

    British food long off the menu in Europe is back, Starmer declares.

    The PM says the deal does not just provide "stability" but it also provides a new SBS agreement which he says "slashes red tape".

    "We sell 70% of our seafood into that market, it is a huge opportunity," he adds.

  8. EU deal will help holidaymakers by 'ending huge queues' at passport control, Starmer sayspublished at 12:52 British Summer Time 20 May

    Starmer says his deal with the EU will help British holidaymakers as they'll be able to use e-gates when they travel to Europe, "ending those huge queues to passport control".

    He continues:

    "And it delivers for our young people, because we are now on a path towards a controlled youth experience scheme with firm caps on numbers and visa controls. A relationship we have with so many countries around the world, some actually even set up by the party opposite.

    "We should be proud to give our young people that opportunity."

  9. Starmer: World demands the UK to step up - and that's what we're doingpublished at 12:49 British Summer Time 20 May

    The prime minister goes on to list the benefits of the deal his government secured with the European Union, saying it gives the UK the "best access" of any country outside the EU to its markets.

    Talking about defence, Starmer says the world demands that the UK steps up and that's what the UK-EU deal will deliver - while also paving the way for British firms to access funds.

    He mentions emissions trading, saving millions of pounds in carbon taxes and driving down bills.

  10. UK is back on the world stage, PM sayspublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 20 May

    Keir Starmer

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer gets to his feet inside a fairly full House of Commons to start his ministerial statement on the UK-EU deal.

    The prime minister begins by talking about the situation in Gaza.

    "We are horrified by the escalation by Israel," he says adding "this war has gone on for far too long".

    Turning to the three deals the government has recently struck with the EU, India and US, Starmer talks about the backbone of principles to these agreements which he says "releases the UK from the tired arguments of the past".

    "The UK is back on the world stage," Starmer says.

    The PM says steel and aluminium exports have been protected as he lists of some achievements from his "hat-trick of deals".

  11. Starmer to give ministerial statement imminentlypublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 20 May

    Shortly, we will be heading to the House of Commons where Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to make a ministerial statement at 12:30 BST.

    You can watch what the prime minister has to say by clicking watch live at the top of this page.

    We will also be bringing you text updates from the Commons and the latest analysis to what is said. Stay with us.

  12. Wrapping up your questions for now ...published at 12:23 British Summer Time 20 May

    Your Voice Your BBC News

    We're going to be pausing our Your Voice Your BBC News session for now, but we are going to continue reading your questions as they come in.

    Some of the topics we covered included whether it will be easier to be recognised as a professional in the EU.

    With the summer holidays just around the corner, many of you asked whether Brits will be allowed to use e-gates at European airports.

    On Northern Ireland, our economics business editor John Campbell answered a few questions, including around the agri-food deal:

    • Once this is finalised and signed it should mean a significant easing in trade restrictions from Great Britain to Northern Ireland
  13. Why didn’t the PM demand the EU get out of Northern Ireland?published at 12:18 British Summer Time 20 May

    John Campbell
    BBC News NI economics and business editor

    Your Voice, Your BBC News

    Fiona in Northern Ireland asks: In exchange for giving away our fishing grounds, why didn’t the PM demand the EU get out of Northern Ireland? The EU does not allow the UK to send parcels to NI without shedloads of bureaucracy. The whole UK will now be tied up in mountains of red tape.

    NI has effectively remained in the EU’s single market for goods after Brexit.

    Five UK Prime Ministers in succession, going back to Theresa May, have accepted that was the most politically viable way to deal with the fallout from Brexit on the island of Ireland.

    It means the land border between NI and the Republic of Ireland has remained as open as it was before Brexit.

    The flipside is the creation of the ‘sea border’ between GB and NI. Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak attempted to mitigate the impact of that but never seriously attempted to roll it back knowing it would blow up the wider UK deal with the EU.

    Keir Starmer’s tactic is move the whole of the UK back to a closer relationship with the EU.

  14. Will Brits travelling to EU need to provide fingerprints?published at 12:17 British Summer Time 20 May

    Jack Fenwick and Simon Browning
    Political correspondent and Transport reporter

    Your Voice, Your BBC News logo

    Malcolm in Bristol writes: We’d like more clarity on what this means for our travel to Europe. Does the agreement that we Brits can use e-gates mean that we won’t have to provide fingerprints or e-visas to travel to Europe? And when does this agreement come into effect?

    Some airports and ports in the EU already allow UK citizens to use e-gates when travelling there, but many don’t.

    Yesterday’s agreement provides more clarity. In the future, UK citizens will be able to use e-gates.

    But passport e-gates in the EU will not be available for UK passport holders this summer.

    UK citizens will not have access to them until a new EU scheme, which enhances border security, begins in October.

    The new European Entry Exit Scheme (EES) gathers biometric data on citizens arriving in the EU from non-member, third party countries which the UK is since Brexit.

    EU holiday destinations which have seen long queues of UK arrivals waiting for passports to be checked and stamped will likely continue in the summer of 2025.

    Yesterday’s new deal between the UK and EU stipulates in texts from both parties that there will be "no legal barriers to e-gate use for British Nationals traveling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System".

    But the decision if UK citizens can use e-gates will still fall to individual member states once that October date has passed and EES is in place, for example, it will be for France, Spain or Germany to decide.

    And even then, there could still be manned desks where people will have to go and scan their fingerprints in order to enter some EU countries.

    Plans are also in place which will see UK citizens needing a document similar to a visa to travel to many countries in Europe from next year.

    Yesterday’s agreement doesn’t change this.

    A passenger walking through an e-gate in a Portuguese airport (file image)Image source, Corbis via Getty Images
    Image caption,

    E-gates often make traversing through airports much quicker

  15. Will this deal be submitted to a referendum?published at 12:16 British Summer Time 20 May

    Jack Fenwick
    Political correspondent

    Your Voice Your BBC News logo

    Glyn in Preston asks: Will this deal be submitted to a referendum? Like what Starmer wanted for the current deal.

    This deal will not be subject to a referendum.

    However, Labour’s election manifesto last year did pledge to secure “an improved and ambitious relationship with our European partners”.

    When the Conservative government signed the last deal with the EU in 2020 – the Trade and Cooperation Agreement – it required new legislation, which meant Parliament got a vote.

    It’s highly likely that Parliament will get some sort of say this time round too.

    While Keir Starmer didn’t specifically call for a referendum on the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, he has called for another public vote in the past.

    During the 2019 election when he was Labour’s Brexit spokesperson, he wanted any “deal” signed by a future Labour government to be put to a public vote – with the option to remain in the EU potentially being on the table too.

    That was not a pledge repeated in the 2024 manifesto.

  16. Will pet passports resume in time for summer holidays?published at 12:07 British Summer Time 20 May

    Jack Fenwick
    Political correspondent

    Your Voice, Your BBC News logo

    Kate, Glyn, Sebastian, Adrian, Russell and Bryan all want to know: When will the pet passports resume again? Will it be in time for the summer holidays?

    The short answer is: we don’t yet know.

    The agreement yesterday will introduce a new passport system making it easier for UK pets to travel and ending the need for repeat vet certificates.

    There will obviously be many British holidaymakers keen for these rules to be introduced in time for this summer.

    So-called ‘pet passports’ come under the bit of the deal known as the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.

    It’s not yet clear when these new rules will be introduced, but expect the prime minister to be asked about that when he makes a statement in the House of Commons in the next hour (we'll be carrying that live here from around 12:30 BST).

  17. Will it be easier for Europeans to obtain British nationality?published at 12:04 British Summer Time 20 May

    Jack Fenwick
    Political correspondent

    Your Voice, Your BBC News logo

    Simon asks: I moved to the UK at a young age with my European parents. I'm interested in understanding what this new realignment means for young Europeans who hold Indefinite Leave to Remain. Will this agreement grant voting rights in general elections? Will it make it easier for Europeans to obtain British nationality? And will it expand the rights of those living in the UK under Indefinite Leave to Remain as part of this ‘rapprochement’?

    This agreement will not make changes to anyone’s Indefinite Leave to Remain, voting rights or ability to obtain citizenship.

    EU citizens who have indefinite leave to remain, but are not UK or Irish citizens, are not eligible to vote in UK general elections.

    They can sometimes be eligible to vote in local and devolved elections though.

    People who have indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme can usually apply for British citizenship.

    That process involves tests focused on the English language, life in the UK and the intent to continue living in the UK.

  18. Can sandwich essentials now cross the UK-EU border?published at 12:00 British Summer Time 20 May

    Simon Jack
    Business editor

    Your Voice, Your BBC News logo

    Alistair in Hull asks: Will we be able to take raw Lincolnshire sausages into the EU together with gifts of English cheese as we did before? On the other side of the Channel, Hazel in France wants to know: Does it mean I can come over back to France, with some packets of cheddar cheese?

    The answer to both these questions is YES.

    But not quite yet.

    The ban in importing raw uncooked meat (like sausages) from non-EU countries will be dropped for the UK, but not until a final agreement is signed which could take many weeks or even months and will need to be ratified by Parliament.

  19. How involved was Scotland in the UK-EU deal?published at 11:48 British Summer Time 20 May

    James Cook
    Scotland editor

    Your Voice, Your BBC News

    Lez in Dumfries asks: Was Scotland involved in these negotiations?

    To some extent, that depends on what you mean by "Scotland".

    The UK Labour government at Westminster, which carried out the negotiations with the EU, would insist that Scotland was deeply involved because it is the proper constitutional role of UK ministers and officials to represent Scotland on the international stage, including in trade negotiations with foreign nations or trading blocs such as the European Union.

    This position was validated, they would point out, by the decisions of Scottish voters to endorse devolution of powers over domestic affairs - such as health and education - to a Scottish Parliament in a 1997 referendum and to reject independence for Scotland in a 2014 referendum.

    The Scottish government, run by the Scottish National Party, which wants to see Scotland become an independent country and re-join the EU, has a different take:

    • It says that the EU consulted, advised and updated its own member states during the negotiating phase and the UK government could and should have done the same with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
    • The SNP also points out that the UK, including Scotland, left the EU despite a big majority in Scotland voting, in the 2016 referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, to remain
  20. Will it be easier to be recognised as a professional in the EU now?published at 11:41 British Summer Time 20 May

    Dharshini David
    Deputy economics editor

    Your Voice, Your BBC News logo

    Simon in Maidenhead asks: Will it be easier to be recognised as a professional in the EU now?

    The good news is that the government is prioritising the recognition of professional qualifications and acknowledges it’s an issue (as my colleague writes in her response to a question asked a few posts ago).

    The government has set up a working group with the EU to look at where need is greatest and what can be done.

    But (there’s always a but) we don’t know how long it’ll take or what the outcome will be. In areas where there tends to be seamless mutual recognition of qualifications, there is also freedom of movement – like the EU.

    In other cases, it can take protracted deliberations. The existing UK-EU deal allows for sector-by-sector negotiations – but the agreement the EU struck with Canada on architects, the first of its kind, was years in the making.

    But there is a precedent.

    For example, in the case of Norway, where qualifications are automatically recognised unless there’s a specific reason to do so. However, in practice, that may not be the quick fix it sounds; there is a variety of bodies, public and private, that grant qualifications, which would need scrutiny.