After Brexit, I found myself wondering if our relationship with Europe was like being stuck in a railway station waiting room as trains to Europe, via Brussels, repeatedly passed us by. It felt like all the doors were closed and dialogue was difficult.
Our exit from the European Union was very visible and keenly felt by citizens and communities as they woke up to the very real effects of Brexit on their everyday lives.
Dedicated European policy and analysis jobs that had existed in many local authorities and third-sector organisations to ensure information-sharing and intelligence-gathering disappeared. Our participation in a wide range of European programmes from Horizon to Erasmus was over, while many foreign language assistants in schools simply went back home to Europe.
After taking soundings from a wide range of colleagues across business, the third sector and academia, I found that there was not only a consensus about the lack of engagement and cooperation but also an acute sense of loss. It almost felt like a bereavement.
A good deal?
Since that post-Brexit period, improvements have been slow and incremental. In late 2022, the UK Government set up the Domestic Advisory Group representing UK business, trade unions and third sector to monitor and review the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with Europe.
It would be fair to say the review was intended as a very limited and technical process. The most senior of European officials felt that, as a third country, the UK already had a good deal. Despite that, civil society wanted to find a voice.
In Scotland, the response to this was the Scottish Advisory Forum on Europe (SAFE), set up in May 2023 to begin to fill that gap of engagement and influence. It involves some 50 individuals and civil society organisations and helps Scotland stay visible and heard in European spaces. It is a network which combines grassroots legitimacy, policy access and practical delivery experience.
Its most recent meeting took place in the University of Edinburgh’s impressive Old College, where we heard from the president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), who told us that the recent plateauing of UK-EU relations was not good enough and we should go further. It felt as though we were getting back on the train.
A different geopolitical world
While the change of government in 2024 brought with it a softening in relations, the Starmer reset itself is a reflection of a changing political dynamic. For the UK, trade and diplomacy are back on the agenda and there are good reasons why progress has taken place over the last couple of years.
We live in an entirely different geopolitical world order from that which existed in 2016 or even 2022. The special relationship the UK once enjoyed with the USA is at best unpredictable.
The EU too is having to position itself in new and different ways in terms of defence, security and trade in the face of war in Europe, an aggressive near neighbour on its borders with no moral compass, Russia, as evidenced by the fatal poisoning of Alexei Navalny. China is not only an economic competitor but a geopolitical actor.
It has become evident that the UK has a new added value to Europe in terms of security and defence which wasn’t as apparent in the frosty post-Brexit climate.
Crippling trade barriers
The EU has been forced to reposition itself in response to these major global pressures. To see the Franco-German axis, as demonstrated at recent press conferences, extended to include a non-EU country such as the UK is quite a turnaround of affairs.
But although the mood music has clearly changed, the lyrics still need some work. A UK-EU Common understanding, outlining some key priorities for action before the next summit, is a start.
In Scotland, we especially welcome the commitment to the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme and youth mobility. And a food and drink agreement should allow us to remove barriers to trade that have been crippling businesses since Brexit, with the British Chambers of Commerce reporting reductions in exports.
‘Made in Europe’
However, many areas have not yet been tackled and there are concerns about potential protectionist approaches which could undermine some of the progress. The ‘Made in Europe’ initiative is one such uncertainty heading our way and business hates uncertainty.
It’s a reaction to much of the current global fragility outlined above and signals a potential shift towards protectionism. Designed to strengthen Europe’s industrial base, the initiative seeks to prioritise EU-made goods in strategically important sectors such as green technologies, manufacturing, and automotive supply chains.
While aimed at the US and China, the idea is to protect and secure ‘European’ goods. However, without negotiation as to where our country sits, the consequences are currently causing sleepless nights for some UK businesses.
Is it possible an accommodation could be made which encompasses other nations with equivalent values, including other European countries, not just EU member states? That would be an interesting precedent to set.
With the world changing rapidly, the reset with Europe needs to move faster. There is an appetite from citizens and civil society to improve relations – not least because there is widespread evidence that the UK economy is in danger of being left even further behind if Europe adopts protectionist measures.
The journey from loss to reconnection has started but there is a way to go. The visit from the EESC president this week is a signal that there is a seat at the table and Europe recognises the value that we bring. It’s time to capitalise on our position and negotiate a new deal with Europe. It’s time to be ambitious.
This article was originally published in The Scotsman on 14 February 2026.
Dr Irene Oldfather, a former MSP, is chair of the Scottish Advisory Forum on Europe and vice-chair of the UK Domestic Advisory Group. All views are her own.
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