Overview

• Keir Starmer will attend an informal EU leaders' dinner on Monday, ahead of a UK-EU summit in the spring, to discuss closer cooperation on defence and trade.
• The EU insists on a 'package approach,' linking progress on security to concessions on issues like fishing rights, youth mobility, and alignment with EU laws.
• Polling shows strong public support in the UK for closer trading ties with the EU, with 61% backing negotiations for improved relations.
• Starmer faces internal and external pressures over the reset, balancing pro-EU sentiment within Labour and concerns about backlash from Brexit supporters.
• Economic benefits from reducing trade friction with the EU could boost UK GDP by up to 0.7%, but key Labour red lines, such as rejoining the single market, remain in place for this parliament.