Labour's EU 'reset' still on the launchpad

I am finally feeling well enough to start posting again on this blog which I'll try to do every other day as usual. 

The Labour government has started the 'reset' of UK-EU relations by going back to 2017 when May's government was still trying to square the Brexit circle and make some sort of sense of the referendum decision taken the year before.  The Tories at least set out their positions in a series of papers. These covered the Future Customs Arrangements, Continuity in the Supply of Goods, Foreign and Defence Policy and so on.  Most were full of aspirations and waffle, sprinkled liberally with the hope that Brexit meant Brexit only in a few limited areas and wouldn't impact trade at all.  They were high on chutzpah but low on reality but at least they gave the EU some clue to the UK's strategy.

Starmer has produced nothing in any sort of detail as far as I can see, beyond the three vague objectives of negotiating a veterinary agreement, helping touring artists, and agreeing to a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications.  Of course, the Withdrawal Agreement and the TCA are already in existence so the room for change is far more limited but nonetheless, Brussels is becoming slightly irked and suspicious at all the activity with little substance.

The EU are getting frustrated by all the shadowboxing, ministerial visits and hot-air coming out of Downing Street.  The PM is like the teenager who is scared to ask for something openly for fear of failure and just keeps hinting and dancing around the issue.

The inews has an interesting article along these lines with quotes from anonymous EU officials.

Firstly is the sense of irritation that Britain is out with the begging bowl again. "Eight years since the referendum, sources complain that Britain still does not fully comprehend where it sits in their list of priorities: not very high.

“It’s nice that they are visiting us and want to talk more, but we need substance,” says an EU source. “Britain doesn’t come up much here and won’t cut through when we have so much else on.”

All the brave talk about the EU needing Britain more than Britain needs the EU has evaporated. We are simply another trading partner and the EU has bigger issues it needs to address rather than the awkward, needy teenager on its doorstep.

In Brussels, there is an air of resignation that they have to keep returning to an issue they thought was settled four years ago and they aren't impressed in the slightest at Britain's failure even to fully implement what was agreed then:

"Some inside the Commission say Starmer would do well to implement the agreements Britain already has in place with the EU before discussing anything new.

“Brexit hasn’t made the EU weaker, so there’s no urgency on our side,” a Commission source tells i. “I’d like to see [Starmer] do what Britain said it would do for at least two years before we do anything new.”

We are, as usual, demanding special treatment. To be excused implementing the most damaging impacts of Brexit while still being granted new concessions, however modest and limited. It does not demonstrate good faith.

As someone on Twitter pointed out, the Tories were forced to hide the truth about Brexit because it was and is their baby. But Labour has no such reason, in fact, quite the reverse. 

Until Starmer gets serious the reset he seeks will remain on the launchpad.