EU deal puts Britain back on the world stage, says Starmer

Badenoch describes 11th-hour agreement as 'surrender' to Brussels

- Jessica Elgot Lisa O'Carroll

Keir Starmer has vowed his EU reset deal will lead to cheaper food and energy for British people, heralding a "win-win" as he sealed the high-stakes agreement with concessions on youth visas and fishing. "Britain is back on the world stage," the prime minister said after shaking hands on the deal with the EU's Ursula von der Leyen in London. "It gives us unprecedented access to the EU market, the best of any country... all while sticking to the red lines in our manifesto."

Von der Leyen described it as "a historic moment... opening a new chapter in our unique relationship". But attacks came immediately from rightwing parties, which said the deal would make the UK a "rule-taker" from Brussels.

Starmer emphasised the benefits the deal would have for Britons, including cheaper food and an end to passport queues at European airports, with a deal for travellers to use European e-gates. No 10 hopes both can be clinched within a year.

The deal also paves the way for the UK's return to the Erasmus university exchange programme, and the creation of a youth mobility scheme that would allow young people access to the EU through work, study or travel.

Ministers have insisted the scheme will be capped and time-limited, similar to those deals struck with Australia and New Zealand. But officials said there were hard negotiations yet to be done on whether the capped numbers would be from individual member states or EU-wide.

Acknowledging for the first time the damage done by Brexit to Britain's trade, Starmer said the deal to remove restrictions from agrifood trade would give a boost of £9bn to the UK economy. In a government briefing, No 10 said it would redress the 21% drop in exports and 7% drop in imports seen since Brexit.

It is the third deal Britain has struck this month, after agreements with India and the US.