Starmer Faces Backlash as German Chancellor Labels Brexit “Deplorable” While Brussels Demands UK Cash

DOWNLOAD IPFS

During a joint visit to Airbus’s Stevenage facility, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly criticised Brexit as “deplorable” while launching a new treaty with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer focused on migration, trade, and defense collaboration. Concurrently, reports reveal that under Starmer’s so‑called “Brexit reset,” the UK is set to contribute payments to EU bodies overseeing food standards and carbon regulations with no legislative influence in those areas.

Merz’s remarks followed similar comments from French President Emmanuel Macron, who blamed Brexit for fueling the migrant small boat crisis. The treaty underscores coordinated efforts on people‑smuggling and defence, but critics argue Starmer appeared deferential as Merz publicly attacked the UK’s historic decision to leave the EU.

According to newly surfaced documents, the UK government will fund Euro-quangos responsible for managing regulations on food imports and environmental standards. These payments are presented as part of a trade facilitation package that would ease access to EU markets, but without UK input on how those rules are set.

Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice condemned the deal, warning that it “undermines Brexit” and reflects a government “full of remainers” unwilling to harness the freedoms voted for in 2016. Many on the right assert that permitting Brussels to dictate regulatory standards without formal representation defies democratic principle.

From a centre‑right standpoint, the developments highlight uneasy contradictions. While cooperation on migration and defence addresses shared security concerns, the lack of reciprocated influence is problematic. The UK pays into EU systems yet holds no seat at the table, raising questions over sovereignty and democratic oversight.

The treaty itself may offer genuine benefits, joint defence projects, enhanced border enforcement, and economic linkages, but the optics risk overshadowing the substance. Allowing high-profile foreign leaders to publicly criticize Brexit while the UK funds EU regulators could reinforce perceptions of reversed sovereignty.

In summary, while enhanced collaboration with Germany and broader Europe is strategically rational, it must not come at the cost of principle. Any reset should demand mutual respect and retained political autonomy. Without those elements, support may erode among voters who backed Brexit to win democratic self-determination.