Keir Starmer defends plan for closer alignment with EU rules

<p>PM rejects claim plan is integration with EU ‘by stealth’, saying changes will happen only if parliament passes law</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/apr/13/iran-war-keir-starmer-brexit-trump-strait-hormuz-oil-fuel-southport-latest-news-updates">UK politics live – latest updates</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/13/hungary-peter-magyar-viktor-orban-trump-russia-ukraine-iran-eu-europe-latest-news-updates">Europe live – latest updates</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/apr/13/oil-price-barrel-trump-naval-blockade-strait-of-hormuz-stock-markets-ftse-latest-news-updates">Business live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Keir Starmer has defended plans for the UK to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/06/keir-starmer-parliamentary-battle-over-eu-reset-policy?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other">align more closely with some EU rules</a> without parliamentary votes, saying a closer relationship with Europe “is in the UK’s best interest”, particularly given the international turmoil over the Iran war.</p><p>Speaking to the BBC after <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/12/britain-single-market-rules-uk-eu-reset">the Guardian revealed</a> that ministers were planning to use so-called <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/henry-viii-clauses/">Henry VIII powers</a> to dynamically align with EU rules by default, Starmer argued that, nearly 10 years after the Brexit referendum, it was time to “look forward”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/13/keir-starmer-defends-plan-for-closer-alignment-with-eu-rules">Continue reading...&