Movement on EU Youth Mobility Scheme a victory for common sense – Carmichael

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has responded to reports today that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has put an UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme on the table in his talks with Brussels, calling it “a victory for common sense”. Mr Carmichael has long called for a UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme, which would allow young people the ability to live and work across Europe, and previously joined a cross-party letter with over 70 MPs calling for the government to act on the plan last year.

Mr Carmichael said:

“Progress on a Youth Mobility Scheme would be a victory for young people across the UK – and a victory for common sense. It has been incomprehensive that for months the Labour Government refused to countenance extending a scheme we already have with Australia and Japan to our European allies. 

“We need to get the best possible deal for young people here in the UK, so that they can live and work across Europe as they did in the past. 

“This cannot be the end point but instead should be the first step in fixing our broken relationship with the EU and cutting the Brexit red tape which is holding our economy back. Isolationism is a luxury we cannot afford in these times so building bridges with our allies in Europe has to be the priority – as well as being basic economic sense.”