Despite Labour\u2019s crushing majority in parliament, the move is expected to be fiercely opposed by the right-wing opposition parties \u2013 the conservatives, who took Britain out of the EU, and hard-right Reform UK, which leads opinion polls.<\/p>\n
\u201cBring it on,\u201d a UK government official told AFP, referring to likely \u201cBrexit betrayal\u201d claims from the Tories and Reform\u2019s leader, arch-eurosceptic Nigel Farage.<\/p>\n
The move also risks splitting open divisions within Labour, including over whether the party should breach a manifesto promise not to rejoin the EU customs union.<\/p>\n
British PM faces Labour revolt over closer EU ties<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\tLONDON \u2013 UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a rebellion from one of his\u2026\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t3 minutes\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t![\"British](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2158757116-800x534.jpg\")
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Last year, Starmer struck an economic agreement with EU leaders that aims to boost trade by easing red tape on food and plant exports.<\/p>\n
They also agreed to work on a new electricity deal that would integrate the UK into the EU\u2019s internal electricity market, with the intention of lowering energy costs.<\/p>\n
\u2018Brexit damage\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
The agreements form part of Britain aligning itself with EU rules in certain areas.<\/p>\n
The bill has not been published yet but a government official, who asked not to be named, said it would provide a \u201cmechanism\u201d for an alignment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bill will provide the powers to adopt the rules and set out the role parliament will play in that,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n
The government hopes to introduce the legislation in the spring or summer, meaning it could coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum, which was held in June 2016.<\/p>\n
Three years of bitter parliamentary wrangling about what Britain\u2019s relationship with the EU should look like post-departure followed the vote, ultimately leading to the resignation of Theresa May as prime minister.<\/p>\n
The deadlock was broken when her successor, Boris Johnson, won a landslide general election victory in December 2019 to force through the exit.<\/p>\n
Opinion polls regularly now show that most Britons regret the razor-thin vote to leave the EU and view the Brexit project as a failure, something Starmer hopes can work in his favour.<\/p>\n
\u201cLabour members are almost wholly united in wanting to see some of the damage done by the Tory-Farage Brexit exposed and fixed,\u201d said one supportive Labour MP.<\/p>\n
\u201cCloser alignment helps our economic message, has the backing of members and most MPs, and will provide a boost to British business,\u201d the lawmaker, who asked not to be named, told AFP.<\/p>\n
But not all Labour MPs agree.<\/p>\n
Thirteen of them recently voted in favour of a bill by the pro-EU centrist Liberal Democrat party that called for the UK to begin negotiations to rejoin a customs union with the EU.<\/p>\n
UK\u2019s Starmer vows to see out five-year term, pushes for closer EU ties<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\tBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer argued in an interview Sunday that the UK should deepen\u2026\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t3 minutes\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t![\"UK\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2226376416-800x533.jpg\")
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\u2018Do more\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, widely seen as the favourite to succeed Starmer as Labour\u2019s next leader, has indicated his support for such an agreement.<\/p>\n
Starmer has come out against a customs union, however, insisting that he favours closer realignment with the EU\u2019s single market.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want us to do more,\u201d one Labour MP who feels Starmer is not being bold enough told AFP on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
Other Labour lawmakers would rather he left the issue alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe said we wouldn\u2019t re-open the Brexit debate and now we are doing exactly that,\u201d MP Jonathan Hinder told AFP.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can create a fairer, socialist Britain while outside the EU and that is what we should be focused on doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
A UK government spokesperson said in a statement that the reset was \u201cimproving our diplomatic, economic and security cooperation and will be worth \u00a39.0 billion (\u20ac10.4 billion) to the UK economy by 2040\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will legislate to deliver on this and further details of the bill will be announced in due course.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deputy director for the Centre for European Reform think tank, Ian Bond, said that whether the bill is \u201ca game changer will depend on exactly how much latitude the British government gives itself\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it holds its nerve, it really doesn\u2019t need to pay any attention to these noises,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But he added he felt ministers were \u201call terrified that if they do anything too bold, Reform will criticise them for it\u201d.<\/p>\n
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