Don’t look back in anger: Keir Starmer at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Wednesday. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters
Keir Starmer has warned against “looking backwards” to Brexit, as he faces pressure to reconsider rejoining the European Union. Speaking at the G7 summit, the prime minister reaffirmed Labour’s manifesto commitment not to re-enter the bloc but noted “real progress” in UK-EU relations, which he said were “slowly but surely building”.
Leadership rivals back EU return
Potential leadership rival Andy Burnham stated last September he would like to see the UK rejoin the EU in his lifetime. Former health secretary Wes Streeting, another likely contender, called for a “new special relationship” with the EU in a speech last month, expressing a desire for the UK to rejoin the bloc.
When asked by reporters at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains if he would express a similar desire, Starmer said he remained committed to “a clear manifesto commitment in terms of not rejoining the EU”. He added: “That’s why we’ve gone for the closer relationship that we’re building. We’re slowly but surely building with the EU.”
UK-EU reset summit confirmed
On Tuesday, Starmer confirmed that the UK and EU would hold a “reset” summit on 22 July in Brussels. The summit, delayed several times, had faced deadlock over a youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s to work, travel or study in each other’s territories. Some speculated it would be postponed until autumn.
European Council President António Costa said: “Close EU-UK cooperation is essential for our shared European security, resilience and prosperity. We are working closely together to make our upcoming second summit on 22 July a success.”
Starmer said he had been “very clear” about wanting closer relations with the EU. He highlighted a “very successful” bilateral meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and participation in meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders on Ukraine’s future.
“One of the reasons that we’ve been able to make such good progress with the EU is, firstly, a joint recognition by myself and EU leaders that we shouldn’t spend the whole time looking backwards to Brexit and going over and over the Brexit vote,” Starmer said. “We should look forward to what a relationship with the EU looks like.”
He added: “And the second [reason] is, we agreed that we wouldn’t do diplomacy by shouting into megaphones. We actually do it in a professional, quiet way, and we’ve made real progress with that.”
