So the EU reset, I guess it really began last night. Keir Starmer heads off to Brussels for dinner with the other European leaders.
The choice of location was fascinating. Palais d’Egmont, they never had dinners there. They nearly always have them in the council building.
Why did they choose that building? Well, there was symbolism here, because that is where Edward Heath went to sign the accession treaty in 1972.
I think that was a bit of a game and an attempt to ever so slightly humiliate the British prime minister.
We got a raft of conclusions, one of which was that we’re going to deepen industrial collaboration. We’re clearly going to get closer to EU rules. We may even allow the ECJ some oversight.
But a lot of what was discussed last night will become clearer at a summit that’s going to happen in this country in the middle of May.
I guess that Sir Keir really is a rejoiner at heart, and I fear that we’re going to sort of head a little bit closer towards Brexit in name only.
As long as it doesn’t get too close, because if he does, it’ll reduce our ability to be flexible with America.
