Spirit of willing and quiet resolve land UK-EU deal, but not without late wrangles

Ursula von der Leyen flew into London on Sunday night, but it took another seven hours to secure the deal. Photograph: Carl Court/PA

For weeks, Keir Starmer had stayed tight-lipped about what he was putting on the table in his negotiations as part of the UK-EU deal, saying in line with Brussels: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

But days before Monday’s summit, the prime minister appeared to make a concession and pave the way for a youth mobility scheme, telling the Times in an interview: “Youth mobility is not freedom of movement.”