Government offers visa concessions to unlock EU talks
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A proposal to raise the youth mobility visa cap to 80,000 suggests a government finding the price of European cooperation is easier to pay when the public mood shifts. With a reported rise in support for rejoining the bloc and former Chancellor Rachel Reeves stating Brexit has left the country poorer and weaker, the Prime Minister is weighing new terms for economic cooperation.
The domestic accounts are proving harder to balance. Chancellor Rachel Healey is reportedly considering a retreat on a promised minimum wage for younger workers, while Andy Burnham’s flagship council housebuilding plan faces a £7bn shortfall. At the same time, ten universities are reportedly at risk of closure as the government weighs restrictions on student loans to curb spending.
Border security and local dissent round out the morning. Almost 1,000 people crossed the Channel in two days as a three-week pause in arrivals ended, and the government is preparing a legal defense for its ban on Palestine Action protests. In the Channel, the navy has adopted new tactics for trailing Russian ships, ensuring that while the diplomatic door may be opening, the waters remain watched.