Post-Brexit EU reset negotiations ‘going to the wire’, says minister
Negotiations to reset the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU are going “to the wire”, a Cabinet Office minister has said.
“There is no final deal as yet. We are in the very final hours,” the UK’s lead negotiator Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
On the possibility of a youth mobility scheme with the EU, he insisted “nothing is agreed until everything is”.
“We would be open to a smart, controlled youth mobility scheme,” he said. “But I should set out, we will not return to freedom of movement.”
Politics latest: PM outlines ‘benefits’ for UK from closer EU ties
The government is set to host EU leaders in London on Monday.
Put to the minister that the government could not guarantee there will be a deal by tomorrow afternoon, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “Nobody can guarantee anything when you have two parties in a negotiation.”
But the minister said he remained “confident” a deal could be reached “that makes our borders more secure, is good for jobs and growth, and brings people’s household bills down”.
“That is what is in our national interest and that’s what we will continue to do over these final hours,” he said.
“We have certainly been taking what I have called a ruthlessly pragmatic approach.”
On agricultural products, food and drink, Mr Thomas-Symonds said supermarkets were crying out for a deal because the status quo “isn’t working”, with “lorries stuck for 16 hours and food rotting” and producers and farmers unable to export goods because of the amount of “red tape”.
Asked how much people could expect to save on shopping as a result of the deal the government was hoping to negotiate, the minister was unable to give a figure.
Read more:
What could a UK-EU reset look like?
Starmer’s stance on immigration criticised
On the issue of fishing, asked if a deal would mean allowing French boats into British waters, the minister said the Brexit deal which reduced EU fishing in UK waters by a quarter over five years comes to an end next year.
He said the objectives now included “an overall deal in the interest of our fishers, easier access to markets to sell our fish and looking after our oceans”.
Turning to borders, the minister was asked if people would be able to move through queues at airports faster.
Again, he could not give a definitive answer, but said it was “certainly something we have been pushing with the EU… we want British people who are going on holiday to be able to go and enjoy their holiday, and not be stuck in queues”.
PM opens door to EU youth mobility scheme
A deal granting the UK access to a major EU defence fund could be on the table, according to reports – and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has appeared to signal a youth mobility deal could be possible, telling The Times that while freedom of movement is a “red line”, youth mobility does not come under this.
The European Commission has proposed opening negotiations with the UK on an agreement to facilitate youth mobility between the EU and the UK. The scheme would allow both UK and EU citizens aged between 18 and 30 years old to stay for up to four years in a country of their choosing.
Earlier this month, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Phillips a youth mobility scheme was not the approach the government wanted to take to bring net migration down.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Return to customs union ‘remains a red line’
When this was put to him, Mr Thomas-Symonds insisted any deal on a youth mobility scheme with Europe will have to be “smart” and “controlled” and will be “consistent” with the government’s immigration policy.
Asked what the government had got in return for a youth mobility scheme – now there had been a change in approach – the minister said: “It is about an overall balanced package that works for Britain. The government is 100% behind the objective of getting net migration down.”
Phillips said more than a million young people came to the country between 2004 and 2015. “If there isn’t a cap – that’s what we are talking about,” he said.
The minister insisted such a scheme would be “controlled” – but refused to say whether there would be a cap.
👉 Click here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈
‘It’s going to be a bad deal’
Shadow cabinet office minister Alex Burghart told Phillips an uncapped youth mobility scheme with the EU would lead to “much higher immigration”, adding: “It sounds very much as though it’s going to be a bad deal.”
Asked if the Conservatives would scrap any EU deal, he said: “It depends what the deal is, Trevor. And we still, even at this late stage, we don’t know.
“The government can’t tell us whether everyone will be able to come. They can’t tell us how old the young person is. They can’t tell us what benefits they would get.
“So I think when people hear about a youth mobility scheme, they think about an 18-year-old coming over working at a bar. But actually we may well be looking at a scheme which allows 30-year-olds to come over and have access to the NHS on day one, to claim benefits on day one, to bring their extended families.”
He added: “So there are obviously very considerable disadvantages to the UK if this deal is done in the wrong way.”
Jose Manuel Barroso, former EU Commission president, told Phillips it “makes sense” for a stronger relationship to exist between the European Union and the UK, adding: “We are stronger together.”
He said he understood fishing and youth mobility are the key sticking points for a UK-EU deal.
“Frankly, what is at stake… is much more important than those specific issues,” he said.
Groups tackling AI-generated child sexual abuse material could be given more powers to protect children online under a proposed new law.
Organisations like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), as well as AI developers themselves, will be able to test the ability of AI models to create such content without breaking the law.
That would mean they could tackle the problem at the source, rather than having to wait for illegal content to appear before they deal with it, according to Kerry Smith, chief executive of the IWF.
The IWF deals with child abuse images online, removing hundreds of thousands every year.
Ms Smith called the proposed law a “vital step to make sure AI products are safe before they are released”.
An IWF analyst at work. Pic: IWF
How would the law work?
The changes are due to be tabled today as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill.
The government said designated bodies could include AI developers and child protection organisations, and it will bring in a group of experts to ensure testing is carried out “safely and securely”.
The new rules would also mean AI models can be checked to make sure they don’t produce extreme pornography or non-consensual intimate images.
“These new laws will ensure AI systems can be made safe at the source, preventing vulnerabilities that could put children at risk,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
“By empowering trusted organisations to scrutinise their AI models, we are ensuring child safety is designed into AI systems, not bolted on as an afterthought.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
AI child abuse image-maker jailed
AI abuse material on the rise
The announcement came as new data was published by the IWF showing reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year.
According to the data, the severity of material has intensified over that time.
The most serious category A content – images involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal, or sadism – has risen from 2,621 to 3,086 items, accounting for 56% of all illegal material, compared with 41% last year.
Read more from Sky News:
Protesters storm COP30
UK stops some intel sharing with US
The data showed girls have been most commonly targeted, accounting for 94% of illegal AI images in 2025.
The NSPCC called for the new laws to go further and make this kind of testing compulsory for AI companies.
“It’s encouraging to see new legislation that pushes the AI industry to take greater responsibility for scrutinising their models and preventing the creation of child sexual abuse material on their platforms,” said Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the charity.
“But to make a real difference for children, this cannot be optional.
“Government must ensure that there is a mandatory duty for AI developers to use this provision so that safeguarding against child sexual abuse is an essential part of product design.”
Coinbase Business, a new business platform from major US crypto exchange Coinbase, has launched in Singapore, marking the company’s first international expansion.
After introducing Coinbase Business in June, Coinbase has rolled out the platform in Singapore as its first international market outside of the US, the company announced on Wednesday.
Targeting startups and small businesses, Coinbase Business provides an “all-in-one crypto operating platform” that allows users to send and receive payments in Coinbase-backed stablecoin USDC (USDC), manage crypto assets and automate financial workflows.
“By leveraging the speed and stability of digital dollars like USDC, we offer businesses a platform that enables seamless and secure trading, with instant settlement, minimal fees, and zero chargebacks,” the company said.
Strategic cooperation with Standard Chartered
Coinbase is rolling out the service in cooperation with Standard Chartered, its local banking partner, to enable Singapore dollar transfers for both retail and business clients.
With Standard Chartered’s support, Coinbase Business provides Singapore businesses with a suite of tools, including crypto trading, global payouts, payment links with a 1% transaction fee and asset management with rewards on USDC holdings.
Coinbase Business’s launch in Singapore builds on Coinbase’s long-standing collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s financial regulator.
In October 2023, MAS granted Coinbase a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license, allowing the exchange to expand its digital payment token services to both individual and institutional clients in Singapore.
Related: Coinbase debuts token sale platform with Monad launch
Last month, Coinbase announced participation in the MAS BLOOM (Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multi-currency) program, which aims to expand financial settlement capabilities by enabling the use of tokenized bank liabilities and regulated stablecoins.
“This collaboration with the MAS demonstrates how we are actively working to build the regulated, compliant infrastructure that underpins the next era of finance,” Coinbase noted.
Magazine: If the crypto bull run is ending… it’s time to buy a Ferrari: Crypto Kid
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024