Sir Keir Starmer will promise to “fire the starting gun” for a closer relationship with Europe, as he organizes a major summit, focusing on Ukraine and migration.
The Prime Minister will welcome at least 45 European leaders to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire for a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), which was created following the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago.
All European countries – with the exception of Russia and Belarus – are invited to the summit, aimed at galvanizing support for Ukraine, where fighting is expected to intensify over the summer.
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It happens a few days later the attempt on Donald Trump’s life in the US appears to have transformed the race for the White House and raised concerns about the possibility of a Republican administration cutting financial support for Kiev.
But the summit is also seen as a golden opportunity for the new government to discuss a European security pact and ease burdens on trade with the EU – two of Sir Keir’s stated priorities that Downing Street has otherwise said could take months.
Ahead of the summit, the Prime Minister said the European challenge of illegal migration and people-smuggling gangs was a challenge in which the UK would take a leading role – an issue Rishi Sunak had placed at the top of the agenda at previous meetings from the summit.
After undoing the Conservatives’ plan to send rejected asylum seekers to RwandaSir Keir will announce the redeployment of 100 Home Office staff working on this policy to a new “rapid return unit” to send those who are not eligible to remain in the UK to their home countries.
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Sir Keir will say: “We cannot allow the challenges of the recent past to define our future relationships. That is why European security will be at the forefront of this government’s foreign and defense priorities, and that is why I am focused on building on this time to renew our relationship with Europe.
“The EPC will be the starting gun in this government’s new approach to Europe, an approach that will not only benefit us now, but for generations to come, from dismantling the people smuggling networks, trafficking people across Europe, to confronting Putin’s barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilizing activity across Europe.
“My government was elected with a mandate for change. I have asked the British people to judge me by my actions and not my words. This meeting of European leaders is an opportunity to move forward and start delivering on the people’s priorities. We will only be capable of protecting our borders, driving economic growth and defending our democracies if we work together.”
Last week, when announcing his priorities for the summit, Sir Keir said Europe cannot be “a spectator in this chapter of history”.
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Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is symbolic as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill who, as ministers will highlight, faced tyranny in Europe. It was also used by MI5 during the Second World War.
This is the fourth CPE summit and, without a doubt, the most ambitious, with the leaders of the NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe also participated.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will host a reception for European leaders in the afternoon.
Sir Keir spoke about his interest in securing a defense and security pact with the EU in Washington this month, although he stressed that NATO “is still the cornerstone of our defense in Europe”.
He promised closer trade ties with the EU. In a sign of his importance, he also created the position of minister for European relations and handed it over to his ally Nick Thomas-Symonds.
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Although no formal declaration is expected at the end of the summit, several individual meetings are planned.
On Wednesday night, Sir Keir met Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris, and he will have dinner with Emmanuel Macron in Blenheim. He is also expected to meet with the Prime Minister of Poland.
Sir Keir’s focus on migration, shortly after announcing a border security law in the King’s Speech to combat smuggling gangs, reflects the issue rising on Europe’s agenda.
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New Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Criminal smuggling gangs are making millions from small boat crossings and the Tories have left us with trickery rather than control.
“We will work across Europe to tackle this problem at its source, pursuing those who profit from this horrific trade and bringing them to justice.”
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