Starmer to hold talks with Irish counterpart on first official visit of a British PM to country for five years Keir Starmer has said he believes there can be a “deep” reset of relations with Ireland after arriving in Dublin for his first official visit, with Northern Ireland, Brexit and joint international interests on the agenda. It is the first official visit of a British prime minister since Boris Johnson visited in 2019 to try to salvage a Brexit deal after years of strained relations ..read more

The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said it was time for a 'deep reset' in relations with Ireland during his first official visit to Dublin, where he met his counterpart, the taoiseach, Simon Harris on Saturday. At a press conference alongside Harris, Starmer said: 'That reset, I think, can be meaningful, it can be deep. Of course, it covers the relationship between our two countries. Obviously, it has to cover the Good Friday agreement and I take very seriously our joint role in relation to that ..read more

Ireland’s deputy PM welcomes warmer relations as Keir Starmer arrives for official visit – but cautions UK cannot ‘cherrypick’ issues The UK cannot have an “à la carte” reset of the Brexit agreement, Ireland’s deputy prime minister has said, just hours before Keir Starmer headed to Dublin for his first official visit to Ireland. The tánaiste said the EU wanted an improved EU-UK relationship but that the UK could not “cherrypick ..read more

Britain has already had its populist reckoning, in 2016. European states can take few lessons from our current calm Two summers ago, when the Conservatives had just defenestrated Boris Johnson and were rallying around Liz Truss as his successor, there was little prospect of Britain reaching the autumn of 2024 as a beacon of political stability. Yet here we are. Or rather, there stands Keir Starmer, in command of a vast parliamentary majority, unthreatened by a debilitated opposition, the envy of his European peers. France elected a new national assembly three days after British voters sent Sta ..read more

The new government must use its landslide majority to mend the damage to jobs and fish populations caused by neglect It is a lonely and unglamorous job, being His Majesty’s official opposition, as Labour knows only too well. There were moments when, out of the spotlight, the party’s spokespeople in parliament heroically defended the public interest on some of the most important issues of the day. One example was during the post-Brexit Fisheries Act, where Labour made a formidable case that history has proved right. The question now is whether Labour will use its landslide majority to fix the e ..read more

Moving in small steps risks aggravating both Europhiles and Europhobes while doing little to help lift the economy Every prime minister has their verbal tell-tales. “Reset” is a favourite Starmerism. When he visited Berlin last week to pave the way to a bilateral co-operation treaty, the prime minister told us he was there as part of a “wider reset” in Britain’s relations with Europe. There was the same message when he journeyed on to Paris for a grip, grin and chat at the Élysée Palace with Emmanuel Macron. I see why he’s fond of the word. “Reset” conveys new thinking, a fresh start and alter ..read more

The prime minister’s talks in Berlin and Paris will help to reset relations. But the most urgent challenge is to combat populism together The likelihood that Sir Keir Starmer would make early prime ministerial visits to Berlin and Paris could have been confidently predicted from the moment that Labour won the general election. But the content and precise significance of the visits was less easily foreseen. In the event, it is now clear that Sir Keir’s talks this week with the leaders of Germany and France have taken on an even greater importance than could have been expected in July. The so-ca ..read more

Finding new trade arrangements to boost growth will be hard given party has ruled out rejoining single market and customs union Before a whistlestop European tour to Berlin and Paris, Keir Starmer promised to mend “the broken relationships left behind by the previous government” and drive forward UK economic growth. Changing the tone with European leaders is the easy bit. Changing the substance – especially finding new arrangements to boost growth – is a much taller order ..read more

PM says trip is part of wider efforts to restore ‘broken relationships’ with EU countries Keir Starmer has promised to “turn a corner on Brexit” and rebuild productive relationships with EU member states in advance of a flying visit to Berlin for talks with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, expected to focus on defence and trade. The prime minister said the trip was part of wider efforts to restore the “broken relationships” with European neighbours left by the last government ..read more

The Port of Dover, Channel tunnel and St Pancras International will increase facilities to avoid tailbacks British ports will be given £10.5m in state support to prepare for increased border checks this autumn, when the EU’s much-delayed entry-exit system (EES) comes into effect. The money will go to the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel’s Folkestone tunnel and St Pancras International in London, where Eurostar trains depart, to supplement investment in facilities to avoid long tailbacks at the borders ..read more