Starmer’s European Charm Offensive: A New Era of UK Diplomacy Begins Amid Domestic Challenges

Sir Keir Starmer has initiated a new beginning with Europe, taking the chance to engage with all the continent's leaders on Thursday. However, he must still demonstrate the effectiveness of himself and his strategies.

Political editor @BethRigby

Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 11

Just two weeks into his tenure, Sir Keir Starmer has already held personal meetings with nearly all European heads of state.

One authority humorously noted the rapid progress, saying, "What he achieved in a week usually takes five years."

The scheduling of the NATO summit in Washington DC shortly after the prime minister took office, coupled with the UK's role in hosting the semi-annual European Political Community (EPC) summit, has presented the prime minister with a chance to rejuvenate relationships with crucial allies. These alliances are essential for advancing significant elements of his domestic policy, including addressing the issue of small boats and boosting economic growth.

He has taken advantage of the opportunity presented.

To demonstrate his commitment to a fresh start to European officials, he initiated the conference at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, which is where Sir Winston Churchill was born, by declaring that his administration would always uphold membership in the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).

This clearly differentiated Labour from the Conservatives and also satisfied European allies.

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To emphasize the significance, the office of the Prime Minister organized for the original Treaty of London, which was signed in 1949 and established the ECHR, to be showcased at Blenheim.

An EU diplomat mentioned to me that the ECHR's announcement was unexpectedly well-received, and the display of the Treaty of London was particularly admired. They described it as a highly reassuring message that the EU would bring back, potentially opening new opportunities.

"The mood is completely different now," remarked a UK official familiar with the summits from the challenging Brexit period.

"Starmer is focused on making real improvements in areas such as Ukraine, migration, and energy security, instead of being preoccupied with what the Daily Telegraph headlines might say."

Up to this point, things are going well. However, whether this new strategy will yield successful outcomes remains highly uncertain.

Upon his arrival at the single-day conference, French President Emmanuel Macron conveyed to the press that there is no single solution to resolve the migration issue, while Sir Keir mentioned to me that he was taking on a "really bad problem".

"He mentioned, 'This year, our numbers have reached an all-time high. It's impossible to change that overnight or even within a week."

"Exactly fourteen days ago, we were still out canvassing, urging voters to support our cause. It's impossible to reverse our fortunes this fast… we find ourselves in a truly challenging predicament… it's a deeply critical scenario that we're attempting to navigate."

Since Starmer assumed leadership two weeks ago, 550 individuals have reached UK shores via small boats, bringing the total Channel crossings this year to more than 14,000.

On Thursday, officials declared that employees previously assigned to the Conservative Rwanda deportation initiative would be reassigned to border duties. Additionally, the workforce involved in Europol will be expanded to enhance efforts against criminal networks.

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The prime minister has declared the allocation of £84 million in aid to countries in Africa and the Middle East, aiming to address the root causes of the migration issue.

Sir Keir expressed a practical approach to addressing the migration issue and mentioned at the summit's end that there was noticeable engagement among leaders regarding a proposal for Italy to transfer asylum seekers to Albania for processing.

"I consider myself pragmatic," he stated. "My approach has always been to focus on what's effective."

The agreement between Italy and Albania is distinct from the Rwanda arrangement because, under the Italy-Albania deal, an asylum seeker who is granted asylum can go back to Italy. In contrast, with the Rwanda plan, once a claimant was sent to Rwanda, they had no opportunity to return to the UK, irrespective of their asylum claim's result.

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When questioned about when he could demonstrate progress to the public, Sir Keir did not provide a direct response. However, his team is aware that the public anticipates results.

The political weak point for him may lie in his choice to abandon the Rwanda plan. Should the number of boat arrivals not decrease in the near future, the Conservatives could use this against him, claiming that the prime minister eliminated a preventive measure and, in doing so, increased the influx of migrants.

He needs to ensure his border taskforce is effective.

To summarize, the reset has begun. However, Sir Keir must now utilize these connections effectively to achieve results, which will undoubtedly be quite challenging.

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