Keir Starmer to meet Emmanuel Macron in breach of protocol, with French president 'to test Labour leader on Brexit'
13 September 2023, 17:27
Emmanuel Macron is set to host Sir Keir Starmer in Paris, as the Labour leader seeks to boost his international reputation ahead of the next election.
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The meeting could take place as soon as next week, according to reports - although Labour have not confirmed that it is going ahead.
An aide to the French president told Politico: "The president told Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 that he was going to meet Keir Starmer. It's logical for the president to meet the different players of European countries."
Downing Street said the meeting was not unusual. Sir Keir has already met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German leader Olaf Scholz, and then-Irish premier Micheal Martin, and previous opposition leaders have also met foreign heads of government.
But Mr Macron does not usually meet opposition politicians from outside his own centrist group.
A French source said that Labour wanted to test out their possible future policies with France.
"We’re not from the same political family – we are not Socialists – but…the strategic nature of the bilateral relationship justifies us receiving him and this desire to come and test the major policies with us that he may put into his electoral programme," the source told the Telegraph.
"What is our vision of UK-France relations tomorrow? What do we do with Brexit? What are we doing with the European Union. What are we doing in terms of defence, etc.
"Does he want to renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement (from the EU) and how does he globally see relations with Europeans tomorrow?
"It’s normal for us to be able to address such questions of a strategic nature, with strategic partners ahead of an important election."
The government has been trying to work more closely with France to stop the small boats crossings in the Channel.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron appear to have improved relations between London and Paris since the arrival of Mr Sunak into Downing Street.
Some have even called the relationship a "bromance".
Mr Sunak's press secretary played down the significance of Mr Macron's possible meeting with the Labour leader.
She said: "Opposition leaders do occasionally meet other countries' leaders, and I think this is possibly following in the footsteps of Ed Miliband - and we know how that one worked out.
"I would say as well whilst he's planning his trip across the pond today he might like to spend five minutes to think about the 100,000 homes that are not going to be built because of what he's doing."
It comes after Sunak hit out at Sir Keir for planning to block a plan to scrap a green rule to boost housebuilding.
The House of Lords will vote on a plan to get rid of "nutrient neutrality" requirements for developers.
Labour has said it will block the proposal, which they call "deeply problematic".
The Tories claim that softening requirements will boost the economy by £18 billion and allow developers to build an extra 100,000 homes by 2030.
Rishi Sunak reacted to Labour's vow to block the plans by calling Sir Keir "principles-free" and said he was chasing "a cheap political hit".
