TODAY’S WEATHER

☀️ A return to bright sunshine across the country with a high of 21 degrees in Glasgow and 20 degrees in Edinburgh. Aberdeen will be slightly cooler and London slightly warmer. (Here’s the UK forecast).

THE BIG STORIES
EU “reset” reheats Brexit rows | Ash Regan brings prostitution bill | Allies warn Israel over Gaza push

📣 The UK’s “reset” with the EU has sparked a familiar row this morning, as the details are dissected and claims - and counter-claims - are made about its significance.

Today’s Early Line rounds up some of the contrasting voices later in today’s edition. The key news lines this morning include:

• “Britain is back on the world stage” according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “It gives us unprecedented access to the EU market, the best of any country … all while sticking to the red lines in our manifesto.” (Guardian)

• Echoing that message, Rachel Reeves saying the UK is now better-placed for trade “than any other country in the world” (BBC)

• But pro-Brexit voices have been quick to brand the deal a “total sell-out” (Kemi Badenoch), an “appalling sell-out” (Boris Johnson) and “worse than I thought” (Lord David Frost).

• Scottish First Minister John Swinney said the UK had “surrendered” its fishing industry by continuing terms agreed under the Brexit deal for another 12 years. Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said the deal was “a horror show for Scottish fishermen”. (Scotsman)

• Who are the winners and losers? (BBC Verify picks apart the deal)

📣 Alba MSP Ash Regan will introduce a bill at Holyrood today to criminalise the buying of sex, but is facing criticism from campaigners who say it will place sex workers at risk as the business is driven underground. (Scotsman)

• “This is the logical and small next step to make” - Ash Regan, speaking last year (The Scotsman)

📣 Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants to “take control” of Gaza, but the UK, France and Canada are threatening action if Israel does not end its latest offensive, and allow more aid into the strip. (Guardian)

• Aid trucks are finally getting into Gaza after two months, but the UN has warned the aid they’re able to carry is only a “drop in the ocean”, with widespread concern about famine in the territory. (Sky News)

IDEAS
Brexit voices raised again over Starmer’s EU “reset”

🗣️ Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson: “Two-tier Keir is the orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels. He has sacrificed UK fishing interests, handing over our seas to be plundered again – when under the current Brexit agreement we are on the point of taking back full legal control, next year, of every fish in our waters.” (Mail)

🗣️Financial Times: “Nine years after the Brexit referendum, the howls of “surrender” from Britain’s political right over the Labour government’s reset with the EU shows how divisive, and cloaked in misinformation, the issue remains. The agreement is not a massive sellout. Neither is it, in sum, a massive deal. It is, though — like the UK’s recent trade pacts with India and the US - a worthwhile step.” (Financial Times)

🗣️ Former Brexit negotiator David Frost: “It’s even worse than I thought […] In short: this deal concedes important British interests for very little in return. It begins the process of bit by bit bringing this country back into the embrace of the single market and customs union […] The EU are ruthless: they will happily mouth warm words without letting it deflect them from pursuing their interests. But Labour just can’t let go of their former partner. Their affections for Brussels are as warm as ever. But it won’t help them and it will only do harm to this country.” (🎁Telegraph - free to read)

🗣️John Crace, columnist: “[S]ome of the Brexit lunatics [were] voicing their opinions long before even an outline of a deal was announced. They already had their narrative. This was a surrender on an unforgivable scale. Daniel – unbelievably now Lord – Hannan was writing on X that Britain had become Europe’s very own gimp. Squeezed into a black leather jump suit with a ball in our mouth. Sometimes you wish Danny would keep his fantasies to himself. Then there was David – unbelievably now Lord – Frost. What is it about Brexit that led to so many people who had objectively made British citizens less well off getting promoted to the upper chamber?” (Guardian)

🗣️Brian Monteith: “Announced firstly by communique as a vague ‘heads of agreement’ deal with further details to be worked out – it is not a reset, not even a retreat, it is a capitulation, an unconditional surrender that changes the relationship beyond recognition. No doubt, there will be further pain when the detail is worked out. Why should there not be? Time and time again, the EU has shown it has the guile to get what it wants, then come back for more at the 11th hour.” (The Scotsman)

🗣️Polly Toynbee, columnist: “Headlines and the Today programme bang on about the 12-year continuance of the fishing deal struck by Boris Johnson, allowing French boats into our waters. It’s hard on fishing communities, but not worse than before. The Brexiters used and cheated fishers. But a government has to weigh up winners and losers when fishing contributes just 0.03% to UK GDP and 10,000 jobs. Now set that against the 2.5% of GDP we spend on defence with 164,000 jobs. As the pathway opens up for British defence industries to bid for contracts from the giant €150bn EU defence fund, that’s altogether another kettle of fish.” (Guardian)

AROUND SCOTLAND

📣 Creative Scotland is to face a wider-ranging independent review than initially planned, with most aspects of the quango’s operation now under scrutiny following heavy criticism of its funding of an explicit film, and disputes over funding. (The Herald)

📣 Highland council is seeking “council of sanctuary status” to encourage more refugees, fleeing war and persecution in Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan, to settle in the region. They hope that will help counter depopulation and a rapidly ageing population. (The Times £)

📣 BBC Scotland has accused the actors’ union Equity of making misleading claims over the cancellation of the River City soap. (The Herald has the exclusive)

📣 First Minister John Swinney has condemned weekend violence which saw thousands of Celtic fans cause chaos in Glasgow city centre, and Aberdeen player Jack MacKenzie injured by a chair thrown onto the pitch at Tannadice. (STV)

AROUND THE UK

📣 Gary Lineker will leave the BBC this weekend without a payoff after a row over his amplifying of social media posts which carried antisemitic overtones. Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid presenter and a familiar face on prime time TV for more than two decades, apologised for reposting the content on Instagram. (Guardian)

• Gemma Abbott: Lineker was an articulate and passionate presenter… but he damaged the BBC’s integrity, and his departure was inevitable. (Independent)

• Ian Herbert: Why sorry is not enough to undo the damage of that rat post (Mail)

📣 Would you turn to an AI chatbot for therapy? People have been sharing their private thoughts and experiences with AI chatbots, with mixed results. (BBC)

AROUND THE WORLD

🌎 Russia and Ukraine will start ceasefire negotiations “immediately”, said US President Donald Trump, after separate telephone calls with the leaders of both countries. But it’s far from clear when those might start, or who would take part. Some observers suggest Trump is pulling back from involvement as his frustration at the continuing war grows. (AP) (Sky News)

• Sam Kiley: Putin is pulling the strings (Independent)

🌎 Rain could finally be on the way for parts of Europe after an exceptionally dry spring, in which many parts of the continent - including the UK - have seen just 10% of the normal May rainfall. (Guardian)

SPORT

⚽️ Steve Clarke has picked an intriguing squad for friendlies next month against Iceland and Liechtenstein. Hibs striker Kieron Bowie gets his reward for some fine form in a Hibs side that finished third in the Premiership, while Josh Doig will fly in from Italy having helped Sassulo get back into Serie A. (Scotsman)

⚽️ Derek McInnes was confirmed as manager of Hearts. He’s promising to deliver silverware to Tynecastle. (BBC)

⚽️ Rangers plan to announce a manager this week, says the gossip - with the shortlist now down to two. Former boss Steven Gerrard is up against Russell Martin, the former Southampton manager who also played on loan at Ibrox in 2018. (The Sun) (Record)