Westminster Insider Nick Thomas-Symonds: Don't panic, my EU reset plan will work
Apr 2, 2026
Nick Thomas-Symonds, Cabinet Office Minister leading the UK’s post-Brexit reset with the EU, discusses intense Brussels negotiations. He covers trade and regulatory alignment, youth mobility talks, security and defence cooperation, and the timetable and legal steps for a closer UK–EU relationship. Short, practical and sharply policy-focused.
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Pragmatic Alignment Over Ideology
- Nick Thomas-Symonds says the UK-EU relationship is materially improved with concrete agreements on security, Erasmus+, electricity trading and food and drink.
- He frames alignment as pragmatic, targeted and driven by economic interest rather than ideology to reduce barriers for £800bn annual trade.
Use Ruthless Pragmatism To Pick Sectors
- Use ruthless pragmatism to pick sectors where the UK already aligns de facto with the single market and where alignment serves the economy.
- Example: target paperwork like export health certificates and other red tape that cost businesses time and money.
Export Health Certificate Cost Story
- Thomas-Symonds shares a concrete example: UK exporters have bought over a million export health certificates costing up to £200 each.
- He recounts receiving a 20-page certificate with 56 wet stamps to illustrate burdensome red tape.