🔗 Share this article What's Motivating the PM's Marked Change on Closer Links to the European Union? Image Source The Premier's very notable tilt on the UK's after-Brexit relations to the bloc on Saturday was designed to communicate to industry, to EU officials, and to European partners, as well as his party members. A Revised Process for Relations Closer after-Brexit economic relations are now expected to be considered as within an regular schedule of bilateral talks instead of exclusively at the current year's official assessment of the UK-EU deal. This represented the official answer to parliamentary pressure regarding a wider-ranging renegotiation of relations that suggested re-entering the EU customs bloc. Political Momentum A number of MPs, trade union officials and government figures have added their voices to proposals formalised by legislative actions last year that led to a advisory motion. "It is better prioritising the single market instead of the customs union for our future cooperation," the Prime Minister stated. He provided a definitive response that rejoining the customs union was not the priority, as it undermines what he considers one of the successes of the past year: the conclusion of best-in-class deals with the United States and the Indian subcontinent, with further to come in the Gulf region. Prioritising the Single Market In place of the customs union, his emphasis is on developing a "closer relationship" with the single market, which would preclude abandoning those new trade deals with other nations. When the UK officially exited the EU in January 2021, the agreement at the time emphasised liberation from EU regulations instead of barrier-free exports for British firms to the continent. The current new approach proposes synchronising with EU standards in specific fields to facilitate the easier passage of trade: agricultural products, electricity, and emissions trading. Business Requests A leading commercial body last month released a list of additional asks in different fields to help exporters deal with administrative barriers that has impacted the trade of goods. Its own survey reported that a large proportion of business members agreed that the current arrangement was impeding commercial success. A number of other areas could, potentially, see a parallel method – harmonisation with single market rules – in as a trade-off for minimising trade obstacles across production, in automotive, industrial chemicals, or for example in arrangements for VAT. EU Perception Member states were disappointed by the limited scope in last year's reset, particularly the British rejection of suggestions put forward by some analysts regarding the effective return of UK products to the single market. The specific detail on electricity and agri-food rules is yet to be settled. A plan for UK defence firms to be participate in a major defence loan fund has hit a snag over the size of the financial commitment, after reservations from Paris. Another nation has joined the programme. Wider Landscape The UK has concluded arrangements to participate once more in a student mobility programme and to continue talks on a young workers initiative. This has facilitated progress for further UK-EU talks. Observers suggest that the release last month of a key US strategy document has altered the context on UK ties to the EU. The paper stated that the US would "foster opposition" to Europe's current trajectory and praised the "rising power" of patriotic European parties. In government circles, there is some recognition that the international situation has evolved further. Home Calculations On the national stage, the leadership also expects being pressured on Brexit not just one opposition party, but potentially another, which is targeting its key electoral areas in local votes. The Prime Minister's weekend remarks are stem from a intersection of business needs, domestic pressures and geopolitics as the UK starts a year that will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the decision to leave the European Union.