Keir Starmer creates new ‘Europe Hub’ as PM eyes closer ties with EU post-Brexit

The Home Office is creating a new “Europe Hub” as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s drive for closer ties with the European Union.

The new unit, which will sit within the International Strategy, Engagement and Devolution Directorate, will reportedly be led by Dan Hobbs, director general of the Migration and Borders Group.

Civil servants have been told the department will have responsibility for “ensuring that our strategic approach to this work is coherent, working collaboratively across the department”.

According to the Guido Fawkes website, Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft said: “With shared global challenges in areas such as irregular migration, a strong UK-EU alliance is vital.

“This work is critical to the home secretary’s priorities for the department on border security, safer streets and our national security.”

Dr Mike Galsworthy, chair of the European Movement, told The Independent: “This is very good news as it shows this government is thinking both structurally and strategically about how we work with our continent.

“With so many dimensions for collaboration, so coordination and big picture view is essential. This is a reassuring step forwards.

“Of course there will be a predictable cohort who will cry that this is a Rejoin Hub or somesuch, but they would also cry Brexit betrayal if they saw a government minister eat a croissant and their squeals should be dismissed with an eye-roll.”

The Home Office declined to comment further.

It comes just days after a new group of MPs from across the political spectrum formed to urge the prime minister to re-examine the UK-EU relationship.

The first meeting of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Europe, chaired by Dr Rosena Allin-Khan and Tory peer Timothy Kirkhope, took place last week.

The group aims to “discover areas of mutual cooperation and interest” and probe the UK’s relationship with the EU.

The prime minister visited Brussels earlier this month as part of a wider attempt to “reset” the UK’s relationship with the EU.

While Sir Keir has previously insisted the UK will not rejoin the bloc within his lifetime, he has pledged to “make Brexit work” by renegotiating the deal agreed upon by Boris Johnson and the Tories.

“I’ve been really clear about not rejoining the EU, the single market or the customs union – or [allowing a] return to freedom of movement,” he said.

Last week, the prime minister scored the first major breakthrough in his great Brexit reset with a landmark new defence deal with Germany.

Sir Keir struck an agreement with the most influential and powerful member state in the European Union.

Under the plans, German aircraft in the Luftwaffe, Germany’s airforce, will operate from a base in Britain to help protect the North Atlantic from the growing threat posed by Russia, while around 400 jobs are set to be created in a new munitions factory in the UK.

Defence secretary John Healey said the agreement represented a “major strengthening of Europe’s security” and was a “milestone moment” in the UK’s relationship with Germany.