We should use our EU reset to cut passport queues for more sun and less stress
3 min read
It is often little fixes that make the biggest difference to people's lives. A new passport agreement with the EU, making the airport experience quicker and less stressful for hardworking holidaymakers, is a great example.
This summer, millions of hard-working Brits will flock to airports across the country for a well-earned trip to Europe. But before we trickle into the holiday season, there’s a UK-EU Summit to think about first.
Monday’s reset is a real step forward to rebuilding relations with our nearest neighbours — and getting on with an improved deal that’s very much in the national interest.
For years, our relationship with Europe has been overshadowed by the last Tory government's botched Brexit deal — a failure plain for all to see.
That’s why this Labour government has employed a politics of pragmatism, with a commitment to negotiate on clear-cut areas of cooperation — on national security, economic security and food security. That’s a welcome change in my view.
But as we begin to reshape our collective future with Europe, there’s more we can do to fix the Tories’ mess and ultimately create far less stress for Brits. Even if it’s not always on those big-ticket areas I just mentioned.
With many holidaymakers’ trips across Europe on the horizon, I’m calling for a deal on eGates to speed up passport queues and prevent holiday blues from setting in, before anyone’s even arrived at their destination.
Many people across the country pay a huge proportion of their hard-earned income for a week away with their families or friends, and it’s important we do all we can to give them the best experience when they go abroad.
There’s nothing worse than stepping off the plane, eager to start your holiday, only to hit long queues at passport control. Especially when you’re juggling an excitable toddler, as I know all too well. This is something I outlined in the Commons earlier this week.
It's time to give a very obvious thing back to the British people: a new eGates deal, or more broadly, a UK–EU plan to streamline passport checks, should be back on the table for discussion.
In politics, it’s often the small fixes that make the biggest difference, especially when they ease everyday frustrations.
And let’s be honest: restricting 18- to 30-year-olds to just 90 days in Europe makes no sense either.
We need young people to be equipped with the skills and resilience to forge successful careers in the future.
At present, young Brits can live, work and study for up to two years thousands of miles away in Australia and Canada — but are capped at three months in places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
Young people were shut out of travel, study, and work abroad — first by Brexit and then by the pandemic. A mobility scheme is how we can start giving those opportunities back.
After years of Tory neglect, an eGates deal and a youth mobility scheme are sensible steps forward. Both of these would be under threat from Reform, who would rather have you stuck in a queue just to fight with the EU.
Only Labour can deliver simple fixes that can transform the lives of ordinary people, which has been won by building trust and respect from trade partners.
That’s why we’ve struck deals in record time with India and the US, while Reform would simply turn our foreign policy into a shouting match.
Luke Charters is the Labour MP for York Outer.
