“The UK is seeking entry into the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) scheme.” — Rachel Reeves. Our verdict: Partly True.
Rachel Reeves made the claim in an article written for the Sunday Times and reported by the BBC on 1 November 2026.
Our verdict
Partly True
The claim is partly true. The UK government has been in talks with the EU about taking part in the SAFE defence scheme, but there is no public evidence that the UK has formally applied for or joined it.
What we found
The evidence shows the UK government has been actively discussing a deal to take part in the EU's SAFE scheme. A written answer published by Parliament on 31 October 2025 confirmed the government was 'taking forward discussions on a bilateral participation agreement with the EU for enhanced cooperation under the SAFE instrument'. A UK in a Changing Europe explainer also notes that the UK and EU said at their May 2025 summit that they would quickly explore ways for the UK to work with SAFE. However, the specific claim that the UK is 'seeking entry' rests on a BBC report about comments by Rachel Reeves, in which she said she hoped for 'progress towards entry'. That report does not by itself show a formal government application or a completed entry process. Talks reportedly broke down in November 2025, and as of February 2026 the Prime Minister had signalled openness to resuming them, so the position is one of engagement rather than confirmed entry.
The evidence
3 of 4 sources support the claim; none contradict it.
- Background
The BBC reported that Rachel Reeves wrote in the Sunday Times that she hoped for 'progress towards entry' into the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) scheme. [1]
- Supports the claim
A written answer published by Parliament on 31 October 2025 confirmed the UK government was 'taking forward discussions on a bilateral participation agreement with the EU for enhanced cooperation under the SAFE instrument'. [2]
- Supports the claim
A UK in a Changing Europe explainer says the UK and EU announced at their May 2025 summit that they intended to swiftly explore possibilities for UK cooperation through the SAFE instrument. [3]
- Supports the claim
A UK in a Changing Europe analysis reports that UK-EU talks on UK participation in SAFE broke down in November 2025, and that as of February 2026 the Prime Minister had signalled openness to resuming talks on defence financing cooperation including SAFE. [4]
What we could not confirm
- The exact status of the negotiations as of November 2026 is not fully established by the available evidence.
- Whether a bilateral participation agreement would amount to full 'entry' into the SAFE scheme remains unclear.
- The original Sunday Times article was not independently verified; the attribution to Rachel Reeves comes from a BBC report.
- The two UK in a Changing Europe pieces are secondary analysis, not primary government sources.
How we checked
We looked at UK Parliament written answers, a BBC news report, and analysis from the think tank UK in a Changing Europe to see whether the UK government has formally sought entry into the SAFE scheme. We reviewed 4 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]www.bbc.co.uk · Reeves says UK's future should be inside the EU
- [2]questions-statements.parliament.uk · Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament · October 31, 2025
- [3]ukandeu.ac.uk · Explainer: Security Action for Europe (SAFE) · September 8, 2025
- [4]ukandeu.ac.uk · After SAFE: Consequences for EU-UK defence industrial cooperation and potential ways forward · February 18, 2026
- [5]Photo: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street / Wikimedia Commons, OGL 3
Have evidence we missed?
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