Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of forming an EU ‘surrender squad’ to reverse Brexit.
An all-powerful team of more than 100 civil servants is being assembled to run the UK’s negotiations with Brussels – with insiders claiming its purpose is to negate the historic 2016 vote to leave the EU.
Last night, critics warned that the Prime Minister was on the brink of jettisoning the freedoms and opportunities of Brexit to permanently lash the UK to an EU superstate, and return us to the role of rule-taker rather than rule-maker.
Ahead of any talks for closer UK-EU trade ties, Brussels is expected to demand freedom of movement for young people, an acceptance of EU laws and the continued right for the European nations to fish in British waters beyond 2026.
Insiders say the new team, to be established in the heart of the Cabinet Office, will aim to ensure that any concessions yielded to Brussels will be almost impossible to undo by a future Tory government.
A source said: ‘The officials are being drawn from every government department, and they have been told that they will have full powers to demand whatever they need from any corner of Whitehall to make the reset work.’
