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Andrew Neil said the Erasmus deal was ‘terrible’ for the UK (Image: PA)

Andrew Neil has warned that Labour’s agreement to rejoin the EU Erasmus scheme is a “terrible deal” for Britain. Young people will be able to study or train under the programme from January 2027 at a cost of £570million that year.

The broadcaster wrote on X: “It’s a quite terrible deal for the UK. And means the extra taxes now being inflicted on working people will be used to finance some ‘study’ in Barcelona for gap-year yahs from affluent families. Starmer couldn’t negotiate his way out of a wet paper bag.”

Work on the UK returning to the Erasmus programme was announced as part of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit reset deal with Brussels in May.

Britain left the scheme under Boris Johnson, who argued it did not offer value for money and would have meant a net cost of £2billion over seven years. He launched the Turing scheme instead.

The Tories also criticised the move, with frontbencher Alex Burghart saying: “The UK rejoining Erasmus was a big Brussels demand, and Keir Starmer has seemingly caved in to the EU without getting anything in return for our £500million – just like he did over our fishing rights.”

Downing Street has insisted the agreement for the UK to rejoin the EU Erasmus scheme was “a good deal”.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said the UK’s £570million payment for 2027 was “down from approximately £810million we would have paid under the default terms”.

He added: “The UK will receive most of that money back to distribute amongst the UK beneficiaries.

“We will also have the opportunity to compete for grants from a £1billion central pot directly managed by the European Commission.”

The Times reported that the UK had pushed for a 50% discount on membership fees.

EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the move was “a huge win for our young people”.

He added: “Today’s agreements prove that our new partnership with the EU is working. We have focused on the public’s priorities and secured a deal that puts opportunity first.”