Labour MPs urge Starmer to back youth mobility scheme amid EU trade reset

Keir Starmer is under pressure from more than 60 Labour MPs to allow thousands of young Europeans to live and work in the UK, a move seen as key to unlocking a more ambitious trade reset with Brussels. In a letter to Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister negotiating with Brussels, 70 Labour MPs and peers said a time-limited, capped youth visa scheme should be agreed and trade cooperation deepened beyond the government’s current ambitions. “We want to see a new and bespoke youth visa scheme for UK and EU citizens aged under 30. It is thought the SPS deal would be based on a deal the EU struck with Switzerland in 2023, but with substantial changes. David Henig, a trade expert, said the deal was unlikely to deliver the economic growth Labour is seeking.