Kemi Badenoch declares Brexit war on Keir Starmer as she pledges to reverse any ‘row backs’ ahead of EU reset

"If Keir Starmer starts rolling back on the instruction the country gave us on Brexit, we will reverse the changes he made," she declared.

The former Business Secretary expressed particular concern about potential new deals on free movement, EU payments, fishing rights and defence spending.

"My worry is, when Labour negotiates, Britain loses," Badenoch said, establishing what appears to be a new battle line in the ongoing Brexit debate.

Her comments come as Starmer's government faces scrutiny over its approach to EU relations and immigration policy.

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Badenoch outlined specific concerns about potential Labour concessions to the EU.

"If he starts new deals on free movement, we already have a huge immigration problem and we need to bring it down," she warned.

She pledged to reverse any agreements that might bring "free movement through the backdoor."

On financial matters, Badenoch was equally direct: "If he starts paying new money to the EU, we cannot afford it.

Starmer's counterpart expressed particular concern about fishing rights.

"You look at what they're going to do on fishing. A lot of the Labour lefties think it's a big joke and they laugh at people from fishing communities," she said.

She questioned EU intentions regarding British waters: "If they think fishing is so irrelevant, why does the EU want it so badly?"

Badenoch also criticised potential UK contributions to European defence funds.

Starmer recently addressed immigration concerns in a speech from Downing Street, where he promised to "take back control" of Britain's borders.

"Today this Labour government is shutting down the lab. The experiment is over," Starmer declared, adopting language reminiscent of Brexit campaigners.

He pledged that "migration will fall" without setting specific targets.

Meanwhile, Spain's foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares has suggested that Gibraltar's status could be linked to broader EU negotiations.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Albares said: "I think the relationship between UK and European Union, it's a comprehensive relation, a global relation, not just a pick-and-choose relation."

Reports have also emerged that some European countries want UK concessions on fishing rights as part of any defence deal.

The Government maintains that "Gibraltar will always remain part of the British family" and that it won't compromise on sovereignty.

Badenoch expressed particular concern for coastal communities where fishing is vital.

"I'm very worried about those coastal communities in places like Grimsby, in the south west, where fishing is the lifeblood of those communities," she said.

"We cannot sell them down the river, pardon the pun, just because we're trying to get another deal somewhere else."

She cited previous Labour negotiations as evidence of her concerns, referencing deals on the Chagos Islands, US tariffs, and a "lopsided" double taxation agreement with India.

Badenoch has established "five tests" for Labour's EU negotiations, emphasising that NATO must remain "at the heart of defence in the UK, in Europe in particular."

She rejected the idea of reopening Brexit debates, stating: "We want to move forwards, not backwards. We shouldn't be having to talk about Brexit anymore - we should be talking about the opportunities."