Starmer under pressure as Germany demands radical new Brexit 'mega deal' in huge overhaul

Germany is piling pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to agree to open up talks on a huge new Brexit deal, which could cause a political headache for the new UK Prime minister.

Sir Keir has repeatedly pledged a Brexit "reset" with the EU and is keen to strike a security pact with Brussels. However, Germany’s ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, has told POLITICO that the pact "is not only security, it is broader".

Instead of reopening the existing Brexit agreement, a new Security and Cooperation Agreement could morph into an all-new "Brexit mega deal", according to the outlet.

The German ambassador said the two sides will "look for areas which are in the common interests" amid fears EU member-states will demand new agreements on agriculture, visas, and fishing.

This comes with Sir Keir moving fast to strike up closer ties with Europe. He met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz three times in just 10 days after taking office earlier this month.

On Wednesday, UK Defence Secretary John Healey signed a "joint defence declaration" in Berlin, hailing it as a step towards a "deep new relationship" between Britain and Germany.

Sir Keir has tasked European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds with agreeing a new security pact with the whole of the European Union

Mr Berger said: "We very much welcome the initiative of a security pact. It’s not only security, it’s broader: so I would call it a Security and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the European Union.

"We have a headline, which is security and cooperation. And beneath that, we think we should look for areas which are in the common interest."

One of the EU's top demands for any new deal with the UK is youth mobility, including a new visa programme for young Europeans.

However, such a move would represent a U-turn for Sir Keir after he snubbed EU demands for youth visas while in opposition earlier this year. At the time, the Labour Party likened the proposal to freedom of movement, which it has ruled out.

Mr Berger doubled down on the demand, saying mobility remains "very important, not only to Germany but to all 27" as a component of a new Brexit settlement.

He added: "I think that's very important that people understand this has nothing to do with the migration dossier, because people come here to study, work, do internships, whatever, and then they would leave. So this is not about migration."

Also, according to Politico, several EU members, who would need to agree to the pact for it to go forward, could add in demands around improved fishing access to UK waters, which was a fierce battleground during Brexit.

Mr Berger said that leaders in the EU were pleasantly taken aback at Britain's "very fast outreach" to Brussels after the election victory.

He continued: "I think that was the feeling for many of the EU heads of state and government after the meeting: that Starmer really very clearly showed this willingness to cooperate. I would say the message of reset really came through.

"What I can really see is that not only in Germany but I think overall in the European Union people have been very impressed with the very fast outreach by the new British government."

While Germany is keen for a new Brexit deal, France, under Emmanuel Macron, is thought to be opposed to any new talks with the UK.

Earlier this year, while at the Munich Security Conference, David Lammy, now the Foreign Secretary, suggested that the UK and EU should work closer on areas such as supply chain security, climate security, and perhaps migration.