Reeves: I want the young to be able to work in Europe’

Rachel Reeves has insisted she wants Britain’s young people to be able to work in Europe, amid growing pressure on the government to agree to a youth mobility scheme with the EU.

- MILLIE COOKE

The chancellor also said she’s “determined that we can get there” after holding talks about a trade deal with her US counterpart Scott Bessent in Washington DC.

Asked about the prospect of a youth mobility scheme, Ms Reeves said: “We’re going to bring down net migration, and we aren’t going to return to freedom of movement. But we are hosting the summit next month. We do want to see better trading relationships between our countries, and we do want to enable young people from Europe and the UK to be able to work and travel overseas.”

Speaking to The Sunday Times, she added: “But we’ve got to get the balance right, because I do not want to see net migration increasing. I want to see net migration falling.” It comes after the chancellor said Britain’s relationship with the EU is “arguably even more important” than trading links with the US, ahead of a meeting with her US counterpart.