The UK government hopes to reschedule a summit with the European Union after the summer to press on with its bid to reset relations and demonstrate that closer ties are “crucially important,” in volatile times, its EU negotiator said.
A planned July 22 summit was postponed following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation on June 22, just one day before the 10th anniversary of the UK public’s momentous Brexit vote.
Minister for EU relations Nick Thomas-Symonds said he wanted to offer assurance that technical work continued as the Labour Party and the UK await its next leader, widely expected to be Andy Burnham.
In Brussels to meet EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic, Thomas-Symonds said delivering the summit package was his priority despite the “short delay” until Starmer’s successor takes his post.
The priority after that would be to show the British “the benefits ... of what the cooperation does,” the minister said, in an acknowledgment of the surge in support for Nigel Farage’s populist, Eurosceptic party, Reform.
Reform has maintained a clear lead in almost every opinion poll for more than a year, with a general election not due until 2029. An election is not required when the ruling party changes leader, and Burnham is not expected to call one, assuming he succeeds Starmer.
‘A Very Dangerous World’
“The broader point I’m making [is] about the importance of this relationship and the need to deepen cooperation going forward in a very dangerous world that we find ourselves in,” said Thomas-Symonds, who has been in charge of negotiations with the bloc for two years.
“This is about where we are in 2026. I think 2026 is very different from 2016 (the year of the Brexit vote). I think 2026 is very different from 2024. And I think at this time we can see ... the crucial importance of our supply chains, the deep supply chains we have with the European Union.”
Starmer has been a strong advocate for closer ties with the 27-nation bloc, while stopping short of calling to rejoin since he became prime minister in July 2024.
He instead laid out plans to “reset” relations with the EU, involving the UK aiming first to secure deals in food and agriculture, to link emissions with trading systems, and to implement a reciprocal mobility scheme for young people.
British Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office for the Constitution and European Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds arrives to attend a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on July 23, 2024. Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images
‘Made in Europe’ Warning
The UK is also aiming to participate in other EU schemes, such as the Ukraine support loan, and to secure concessions from the bloc’s “Made in Europe“ plan.Under the plan, the EU could begin squeezing British firms out of its supply chains by prioritizing European-made goods in public contracts.
William Bain, head of Trade Policy at the British Chamber of Commerce, warned in March that the potential damage of this scheme to British business “cannot be understimated,” and urged the government to negotiate “a full exemption across all of this new legislation with the EU.”
‘Shared Challenges’
Thomas-Symonds said he aims to convince the EU that “we have shared challenges, we are not each other’s problem” when it comes to the “Made in Europe” plan.“It is absolutely critical for us that the vital supply chains that we have with the European Union, not just that we preserve what we have, but that we are building upon them as we move into the later part of the decade,” he said.
Progress has been made in talks with the EU, he said, but as in other areas, such as steel, where both sides agreed initial quotas under new safeguard measures, more work is needed to secure beneficial long-term deals.
Thomas-Symonds may not be in post by the time the summit takes place, if the incoming prime minister decides to replace him in an expected reshuffle of the current Cabinet.
Andy Burnham, Labour MP for Makerfield, celebrates after his swearing-in at the Houses of Parliament in London on June 22, 2026. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Burnham has been pro-EU throughout his political career. He previously said he would like to see the UK back in the bloc in his lifetime, if public opinion shifted in favor of rejoining. More recently, he has rowed back on the pro-EU rhetoric in his successful mission to win a by-election seat in an area that voted to leave, securing his return to parliament.
At a speech in Leeds on May 18, Burnham said: “I’m not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU. I respect the decision that was made with the referendum.
“My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments.”
Burnham has indicated that if he becomes prime minister, he will stick with Labour’s 2024 election pledges, including Starmer’s wish for closer EU ties. The Labour manifesto commits to closer co-operation with the bloc, while ruling out rejoining the single market, the customs union, or signing up for any agreement involving freedom of movement.
Reuters contributed to this report
