Keir Starmer’s Blenheim Palace trip completes a positive international induction round
The new Starmer administration has started off strong both domestically and internationally. In the UK, the recent King's Speech outlined an ambitious legislative agenda to bring the promises made in the manifesto to life.
New prime ministers quickly realize that dealing with foreign affairs will take up a lot of their time and attention. Since day two of taking office, the new government has been working to improve relations with European countries and institutions, as well as strengthening ties with the US and Ukraine. The prime minister went to the NATO summit for his first foreign visit, met with the US president, and also had the opportunity to meet with the social democrat leaders of Germany and Spain in Berlin. Even though England did not win the final, Starmer's strong political position at home made an impression on Scholz and Sanchez. Some members of the German government were not pleased with how long it took Rishi Sunak to visit Berlin, but Starmer managed to visit just a week after taking office.
"Low-risk EPC: Enhance Your Mood With Ease"
Less than two weeks after becoming prime minister, Keir Starmer was able to welcome many European leaders to the UK for a large gathering. Rishi Sunak later announced the date for the European Political Community (ECP) in mid-July, leading many to believe he was preparing for an autumn election. However, this event actually provided Keir Starmer with a great chance to meet and connect with his European counterparts in a low-pressure environment filled with potential for positive interactions.
In contrast to other meetings, this summit does not have an official statement and is mainly just a place for discussions. However, for a country that is new to the global stage, having the chance to host and meet with other leaders in person is valuable. With the UK no longer part of the EU, UK ministers have fewer chances to regularly meet with others, and relying on England's success in major football tournaments is not a reliable alternative.
The prime minister enhanced the summit by having two important one-on-one meetings - one with the relatively new taoiseach, Simon Harris, which included the traditional Guinness photo opportunity, and another with president Macron for a dinner after the summit. Both meetings received positive feedback, with Harris praising Starmer's post-election decisions as game-changing and Macron agreeing to participate in a UK-France summit next year.
Keir Starmer Stronger Than Other EU Leaders
Starmer's challenge is that even though he seems very strong in UK politics right now, leaders of other major European countries are struggling. Macron's government just resigned and it's not clear who will be the new French prime minister or how long it will take to form a new government. The German coalition was weakened by poor performance in the European parliament elections and faces tough Land elections soon. Sanchez is dealing with corruption investigations involving his wife. Von der Leyen couldn't attend the meeting as she needed to secure her confirmation vote in the European parliament.
Starmer Should Consider Engaging With EU Neighbors
After meeting with their counterparts, the prime minister and his team must now focus on strengthening those initial connections. There is a lot of enthusiasm for increased collaboration on defense and security, especially with the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House in January. However, there are disagreements about what this cooperation will entail, such as whether UK companies will have access to EU funded procurement programs. Starmer was able to avoid criticism at the NATO summit for not committing to increasing defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 as the Conservatives had promised, but he will eventually have to address this issue. The support pledged to Ukraine may become more costly if the US withdraws its support. David Lammy has proposed that security cooperation should encompass a wide range of areas beyond just defense, including energy, climate, and economic security. There are strong arguments for closer cooperation on energy and climate issues, although the EU's stance on climate goals post-EP elections remains uncertain. The EU may be wary of the UK's intentions regarding other areas of cooperation.
Starmer focused on handling irregular migration, an issue Sunak had hoped would be the main focus of the EPC. He must work closely with European nations to support his goal of dismantling criminal gangs. Additionally, he will have to defend against Conservative criticisms that boats would have been intercepted if he had not abandoned the Rwanda deterrent policy. This will be a challenge for him to turn his words into tangible actions.
In Washington and Oxfordshire, the important issues were in the spotlight. Meanwhile, EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds and Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn will be focusing on the daily challenges in the UK-EU relationship, especially when it comes to the Windsor Framework. Starmer will have to make sure these challenges don't overshadow the favorable impression he made at Blenheim Palace.
