Labour Minister Challenges Farage Over UK-EU Trade Deal Impact

Labour, led by EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, is intensifying its attacks on Nigel Farage and Reform UK, accusing them of threatening Britain's economic progress by opposing the government's Brexit reset agreement with the European Union. Thomas-Symonds emphasized that scrapping the agreement, particularly the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) deal, would impose more bureaucracy on British businesses, risk £9 billion in economic losses, jeopardize jobs, and raise food prices. Labour argues that the SPS agreement will boost growth, lower supermarket prices, and protect jobs by removing border checks on food and drink imports, with ambitions to finalize the deal by 2027. Reform UK, which currently leads in national opinion polls, has pledged to undo these agreements if elected, accusing Labour of being too close to the EU and harming British businesses. The political battle highlights a stark contrast between Labour's push to normalize relations with the EU and Reform UK's harder Brexit stance, with Labour portraying Farage's approach as regressive and harmful to families and businesses. Both sides are using the issue as a central theme ahead of the next general election, with Labour aiming to showcase tangible benefits of the Brexit reset to voters.