EU leaders hail reset in UK relations as Starmer vows to be Europe’s ‘friend and partner’

Keir Starmer has scored his first major international success after the French and the Irish hailed his plan for a new era in relations with Europe.

The Irish prime minister described the election of a new Labour government as a potential “gamechanger” for the bloc.

Echoing Sir Keir’s own language as he arrived for a summit of European leaders in Oxfordshire, the French president Emmanuel Macron said “this is a great opportunity for a reset”.

And Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he had the “highest expectations” of the new prime minister.

Sir Keir fired the starting gun on what he hopes will be Britain’s new relationship with the EU as he hosted the European Political Community event at Blenheim Palace.

Ahead of the summit, Sir Keir promised to fix Britain’s damaged relations to benefit “generations to come” as he warned “we cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future.”

Opening the event, he told European leaders that under his leadership Britain will be “a friend and a partner” as he pledged to never withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.

The move seeks to draw a line under the premiership of his predecessor Rishi Sunak, whose threat to pull out of the international agreement – if legal challenges grounded his controversial deportation flights to Rwanda – led to tensions with other European nations.

As he sought to strengthen ties across the continent, Sir Keir Starmer urged European leaders to address the illegal migration “crisis” and to stand firm in support of Ukraine.

He spoke to his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama about Italy’s plan to send migrants to his country for processing, with sources indicating that was the kind of innovative approach that could be considered.

“The two leaders discussed issues of European security including migration, specifically innovative solutions such as the Italy-Albania partnership,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

A No 10 source suggested the PM was always prepared to “look at what works” although the Government was confident in its own plans to deal with the problem and cut the asylum backlog.

Government sources say other European countries are more willing to discuss challenges around migration with Britain since Labour’s election victory removed the threat of Britain leaving the ECHR.

Sir Keir is set to hold face-to-face talks with a number of other European leaders, including his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, who was president of the European Council at the height of the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Mr Tusk famously said in 2019 that there was a “special place in hell” for “those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan of how to carry it out safely”.

He will also have dinner with President Macron, which EU diplomats believe he will use to discuss a potential returns agreement for migrants trying to reach the UK on small boats.

During the summit, he took part in a session on migration, co-chaired by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.

Government sources said other European countries were more willing to discuss challenges around the issue with Britain after Labour’s election victory removed the threat of Britain leaving the ECHR.

The prime minister aims to help lead Europe-wide efforts to combat people smuggling gangs, as part of his pledge to ‘smash the boats’.

As well as giving Sir Keir useful time with his European counterparts, leaders will use the meeting to affirm support for Ukraine after the recent Nato meeting in Washington, with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg attending for the first time.

As part of his talks with the Irish PM Sir Keir accepted an invitation to visit Dublin in September.

The Irish PM described a reset between the two countries as “real” and “meaningful”.

The UK and Irish governments have also pledged to meet annually to “deepen and re-invigorate co-operation” after the two men had dinner at Chequers on Wednesday evening.

Speaking after their meeting, the Taoiseach said: “I am really pleased to confirm that the reset I have been speaking about in terms of Anglo-Irish relations is real.

“It is under way and it is meaningful.”

Speaking to reporters at the EPC, he said: “There’s been a gamechanger now. You have a British Government that wants to actively talk about a closer relationship with Europe, the importance of multilateralism, staying within the ECHR working closely with Ireland, talking about language around co-guarantor of our peace process.

“So it’s a very different landscape to the one we would have been discussing were we standing here only weeks ago.”

Earlier he said a number of topics had been discussed at their meeting on Wednesday, including Northern Ireland and the UK’s relationship with the European Union.

Mr Harris said he left the meeting convinced that the Prime Minister wants a closer relationship with the European Union.

He said: “I think the Prime Minister realises that in the first instance this is about rebuilding interpersonal relationships across the European Union with other heads of government.

“About having early engagement with European colleagues and counterparts.

“Ireland is very keen to see a closer relationship between the UK and Europe, we believe it is in our interests, we also believe it is in the interests of the European Union to have its closest neighbour with a closer relationship.

“I think time will tell what that looks like.”

Before their bilateral meeting, Sir Keir and Mr Harris had enjoyed a pint of Guinness and discussed relations between the two countries.

Mr Harris presented the Prime Minister with a Donegal football jersey. Sir Keir presented the Taoiseach with a Downing Street whisky decanter set.

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative government’s controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were both areas of major tension.

Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk