Dear John,

In the week where further pressure was applied on the Government to negotiate an ambitious UK-EU Reset at next month's summit, where your support created a vibrant and exciting debate in Westminster Hall, and Britain moved a step closer to a youth mobility scheme, here is your Weekend Wire…

A packed Westminster Hall

On Thursday afternoon more than 40 MPs from a wide range of political parties came together to debate the UK’s trading relationship with the EU as we approach the crucial summit on May 19. Thousands of you have been sending messages to your MPs over the past few weeks and your support really made a difference. The debate was so busy that a strict 2min time limit was imposed on all contributions!

The attendance at Thursday’s Westminster Hall Debate, organised by Chair of the UK Trade and Business Commission Andrew Lewin MP, was a clear indication of the difference that campaigns can have. We are incredibly thankful for all of you who took the time to write to your MPs imploring them to attend.

Beginning the debate, Andrew Lewin MP, made an impassioned call to  remove the trading barriers between the UK and our largest trading partner in the EU. Citing Best for Britain’s commissioned research by Frontier Economics, Lewin highlighted the potential 2.2% growth that this  could deliver for the UK economy. Chair of the Business and Trade Committee Liam Byrne MP, argued that a closer partnership with the EU was imperative at a time of such global volatility. 

Lewin’s letter lands

Andrew Lewin MP has had a very busy week. On Wednesday, he published a letter signed by over 70 Labour MPs and peers calling for an ambitious approach to the upcoming UK-EU summit. The letter, directed to Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, called for;

•  Deeper collaboration on defence and security.
• An SPS agreement to reduce border checks for fresh produce.
• A mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to boost our world-leading service industry. 
• A mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessments to reduce barriers to trade on both sides of the Channel.
• The UK to rejoin the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention, delivering greater flexibility and reducing complexity for UK manufacturers.
• Our regulations to align where it delivers growth, removing the costs and red-tape associated for exporting British companies.
• The end of the 90-day restriction for touring artists in the UK and in the EU.
• A visa-based youth mobility scheme for 18-30 year olds, in line with similar schemes already in place between the UK and a dozen countries around the world.

Herr Berger backs youth mobility 

Following our concerted campaign, on Friday morning, The Times reported that the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, was open to a ‘one in, one out’ youth mobility scheme. As the most vocal opponent to the scheme within the cabinet, the softening of Cooper’s stance is extremely significant , with the Chancellor Rachel Reeves now also believed to be in support of the scheme.

The Home Secretary’s reported opposition was around what a YMS would mean for net migration. However, in this week’s UK Trade and Business Commission evidence session organised by Best for Britain, the German Ambassador to the UK. Miguel Berger expressed his deep support for the plan, and argued that to conflate migration and a youth mobility scheme was a mistake. 

He added that what the EU called a “youth experience scheme” was vital to recreate the  “fabric of personal relationships” that was damaged by Brexit.

Prioritising Europe?

Rachel Reeves had the unenviable task this week of advancing prospects of a trade deal with her American counterparts as she attended the IMF Spring Meeting in Washington. Whilst every major economy saw their predicted growth from the IMF downgraded, the Chancellor will be disappointed to see that Britain’s forecasted growth for the year was cut from 1.6% to 1.1%. The location of the summit in Washington was perhaps a little ironic considering the orange elephant in the room, although the IMF did feel brave enough to mention that Trump's tariffs equate to a ‘major negative shock’ for the global economy…

In more positive news the Chancellor suggested late last week that resetting the UK’s relationship with the EU is potentially more important than working out a trade deal with the US. Talking to the BBC, Reeves said that the EU was our closest trading partner and that she understood “Why there is so much focus on our trading relationship with the US but actually our trading relationship with Europe is arguably more important”. 

Indeed, Best for Britain’s independent research shows that  a common sense deal with the EU can negate the economic damage from Trump's tariffs while securing meaningful growth across the UK. All in all, a common sense deal with the EU would deliver more than ten times the economic growth that a US free trade agreement could deliver. Crucially, our polling suggests this option is four times more popular with voters than improving relations with Trump.

The people’s Pope

In an era of populism and division, the passing of Pope Francis was met with  ubiquitous praise for his compassion, humility and service. 

This was exemplified by his determination to deliver one final Easter Sunday address before his passing on Easter Monday. Evidently unwell, the Pope took the opportunity of his final address to call for peace and the end  to violence in the Middle East. Pope Francis had made steps to reform the church, and whilst some felt he had gone too far and others not far enough, there was a general appreciation amongst the public that Francis had been a modernising force. 

Born in Buenos Aires in 1936, Francis had worked as a janitor and a doorman in his formative years, eventually rising to cardinal in 2001. Following the retirement of Benedict XVI in 2013, Francis was elected as the next pope, becoming the first ever South American Pope, a sign of the Catholic Churches growing globalisation.

As the first non-European Pope since Gregory III in 741, Francis had been committed to globalising the institution of the Catholic Church to match its globalised diaspora. During his papacy he appointed cardinals from around the globe,163 from 76 countries in total, 25 of whom had never before been represented in the College of Cardinals. Today, his funeral will be held in Rome with a host of world leaders in attendance including Starmer, Zelensky, and Trump.

Busy at the ballot box

We start next week with the long awaited Canadian Election, where quite remarkably a potent mixture of Mark Carney statesmanship and anti-Trump nationalism has led the Liberal Party to a storming electoral revival after months in polling wilderness.  In December, the Liberals were a staggering 25 points behind the Conservatives, just a few days before the election they now lead by five points. Lazarus does not quite do it justice.

The Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, long seen as Prime Minister in waiting, now appears to be staring down the barrel of electoral defeat. If Carney is to win, much will be made of his pragmatic approach and ability to provide calm and confidence to a Canadian public pushed by the President of the United States with his consistent threats to make Canada the ‘51st state’.

Canada is the second G7 country, after Germany, to go to the polls since Donald Trump took office.

Here in Blighty

It is not only the Great White North that has an important election this week, across the Atlantic we will be preparing for a host of local and mayoral elections, and even the long-awaited Runcorn by-election. Remember to vote if you can on Thursday!

Cringe Column 

Today marks 257 years since the Royal Academy of Arts led by a certain Joshua Reynolds held its first exhibition. Here's hoping the UK can perfect the art of the deal with the EU come May 19...

Joshua Edwicker

Content Officer

Best for Britain