There’s serious noise coming out of Westminster this morning after reports emerged that Labour may be paving the way for a quiet return to EU-style rule-making. According to Bloomberg, the government is preparing to accept something called “dynamic alignment,” which means the UK could start following certain EU rules again, especially around products like food and agriculture.
What’s raising eyebrows is that the plan also reportedly includes letting the European Court of Justice have the final say on specific parts of the new deal with Brussels, particularly on things like food safety and animal health. That’s setting off alarm bells because it means the EU could end up making decisions that affect British businesses, without the UK having a real say at the table.
Critics are calling this a massive climbdown. The worry is that the UK will once again become what they’re calling a “rule taker” – following EU regulations without being able to shape them. And it’s not just about food and farming. There’s concern this could start creeping into manufacturing and services too – the latter being one of the few areas where the UK really outperforms the EU.
The whole thing came into focus thanks to the government’s new Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which many believe is quietly opening the door to this shift. The bill gives ministers the power to accept EU rules without going through Parliament every time, which critics say is basically reversing chunks of Brexit by stealth.
Tories have been pushing back hard, setting out what they’re calling “five tests” to make sure any Brexit-related changes stay true to the original vote. But critics say this all feels a bit half-hearted and unlikely to sway Brussels. The fear is that Labour’s approach is too soft and could lead to a slow, quiet return to being under EU control, just without the official rejoin.
For Brexit supporters, this feels like the start of a slippery slope. They’re now calling on voters and MPs to reject any deal from Starmer that gives Brussels too much influence, saying any future government should be ready to scrap what they see as a “surrender deal.”
The bottom line? There’s a real battle brewing over whether Brexit is being chipped away behind the scenes – and people aren’t staying quiet about it.
