Starmer right to refuse to the UK/Spain youth mobility scheme ?

Ambitious1999

A few weeks ago Spain offered a joint UK-Spain mobility scheme that would have given young people more freedom of movement regarding their rights to live, study and work in Spain.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-brexit-eu-visa-scheme-b2587556.html

The prime minister strongly objected to this scheme, is it good that he did? Any scheme which opens up the any kind of Freedom of Movement between the UK and any EU country goes against the will of the people who voted to leave the EU in 2016. Keir Starmer is simply standing by his election pledge NOT to engage in any memberships with any EU countries that could cause Britain to have a closer relationship with Europe. He supports and respects that Britain voted Leave. I also fear that any kind of mobility or FoM scheme is in grave danger of the slippery slope back into the single market or EU. A lot of people have doubted Sir Keir’s commitment to the people, including myself, fearing he would take us back into the EU, which does not seem to be the case. I’m still sceptical but it’s nothing like what people fear he’d do, reverse Brexit, so I’m warming to our new PM.

What do you think? Was he right to do this and respect the will of the people? Will he keep us out of Europe?

Reply 1

hotpud

Original post by Ambitious1999

A few weeks ago Spain offered a joint UK-Spain mobility scheme that would have given young people more freedom of movement regarding their rights to live, study and work in Spain.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-brexit-eu-visa-scheme-b2587556.html
The prime minister strongly objected to this scheme, is it good that he did? Any scheme which opens up the any kind of Freedom of Movement between the UK and any EU country goes against the will of the people who voted to leave the EU in 2016. Keir Starmer is simply standing by his election pledge NOT to engage in any memberships with any EU countries that could cause Britain to have a closer relationship with Europe. He supports and respects that Britain voted Leave. I also fear that any kind of mobility or FoM scheme is in grave danger of the slippery slope back into the single market or EU. A lot of people have doubted Sir Keir’s commitment to the people, including myself, fearing he would take us back into the EU, which does not seem to be the case. I’m still sceptical but it’s nothing like what people fear he’d do, reverse Brexit, so I’m warming to our new PM.
What do you think? Was he right to do this and respect the will of the people? Will he keep us out of Europe?

From a political perspective he has done the right thing. He went into the election saying he wasn't going to medal with Europe and he is sticking to that. Had he decided otherwise he would have attracted noisy opposition from the right wing media and parties like Reform which would not have played out well.

Is it right for the country - absolutely not. But then Brexit was never about anything other than immigration and we have shot ourselves in both feet over that one.