Keir Starmer has reaffirmed Labour's commitment to avoiding EU reentry, despite growing calls from within his own party to revisit the nation's Brexit status. Speaking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, the Prime Minister highlighted what he termed 'real progress' in the current UK-EU relationship, insisting that it is slowly but surely building.
Starmer's stance comes amidst increasing pressure from Labour figures who have expressed a desire to see the UK rejoin the EU. Last September, Andy Burnham stated his personal ambition to secure EU membership within his lifetime, while more recently Wes Streeting proposed a 'new special relationship' between the two entities.
When questioned about whether he shared these ambitions, Starmer reiterated his commitment to Labour's manifesto pledge against rejoining the EU. He stressed that the government is focused on cultivating a closer, forward-looking relationship with Brussels.
The Prime Minister also confirmed that a long-awaited 'reset' summit between the UK and EU will take place on 22nd July in Brussels. This meeting has faced several postponements due to disagreements over issues such as a proposed youth mobility scheme.
Starmer attributed the progress made with the EU to a mutual recognition of the need to avoid continually re-litigating the Brexit vote, and instead focus on looking forward to the future of the relationship. He noted that both sides have agreed to conduct diplomacy 'in a professional, quiet way', which has enabled significant advancements.
During his time at the G7, Starmer held a successful bilateral meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and participated in discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the future of Ukraine. These engagements underscored the UK's ongoing engagement on the international stage.