London Mayor Khan Backs EU Ties, Stirs Brexit Debate

0:00On April 28, London Mayor Sidi Khan just wrapped up a private meeting with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid. Khan's office has no say in foreign policy, but he justified the chat by pointing to the 100,000 Spaniards living in the city. During the talk, Sanchez made it clear Spain wants the UK back in the European Union full stop. Khan's allies say the meeting highlighted Brexit's ongoing damage to London's economy, social life, and culture. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kier Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are pushing hard for closer EU ties to spar growth. They're prepping legislation that lets ministers adopt EU single market rules without a full parliament vote, using so-called Henry VIII powers. Brexiters are firing back, calling this a betrayal of the referendum nearly a decade ago. On the flip side, some labour voices want Starmer to push even further toward full rejoining. Khan posted about their shared progressive values, touching on Gaza and Europe, too.

1:03Starmer's top EU negotiator, Nick Thomas Simmons, defended the reset plan yesterday, saying alignment with Brussels rules is no bad thing. He hit out at critics like Nigel Farage and Kimi Bada Nash, framing it as a big election issue by 2029. As these talks heat up, watch for more moves that could quietly pull Britain closer to Europe without the big debates. London's mayor stepping into the ring just adds fuel to the fire on where we're headed, post Brexit.