Labor Party leader Keir Starmer will reach a modest peak in Paris this Tuesday during an international tour. His two main aims are clear: to present himself as the future prime minister and to signal a renewed willingness to re-engage with the European Union after Brexit. The talks in Paris include economic, scientific, and security areas, and a planned meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. If Labour wins the next general election, as polls suggest, it could pave the way for a new UK-Brussels partnership focused on collaboration after years of tension and detachment.
Starmer has been signaling a more proactive stance in recent days. He has hinted at signing an EU migration framework during a visit to Europol in The Hague last week and outlined plans to reassess trade and business relationships from 2025 onward. In an interview with the Financial Times, he criticized the previous Brexit deal, describing it as insufficient in key areas and signaling a desire to pursue a more balanced agreement with the EU.
international clothing
Starmer has not backed a return to the Customs Union, yet he has expressed a wish to revisit the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with Brussels. This agreement, negotiated under the Johnson administration, would ideally be updated to reflect closer energy cooperation and greater freedom of movement. He has argued that Brexit should not mean turning away from the rest of the world; instead, the United Kingdom should stay engaged globally. A recent gathering of left-leaning leaders in Montreal, which included Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, underscored a broader push for international dialogue.
Tuesday’s meeting with Macron marks a new phase in Starmer’s international strategy. The current prime minister’s approach aims to mirror the influence of major powers and to pursue tighter ties with the United States, China, and India while refreshing EU relations. Critics from the Conservative side accuse Starmer of wanting to roll back to a pre-Brexit model, reminding voters of his past support for EU membership during the referendum campaign.
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement is expected to face a formal review in 2025, though the scope of that review remains unclear. European officials appear ready to push for changes. Starmer’s goal is a stronger European alignment if he wins the election, but it will not be a one-way push from London. Any agreement must balance rights and duties for both sides. On immigration, Labour has supported negotiating distribution principles with the EU but has resisted a strict quota system, a stance that has raised questions about the viability of potential EU proposals for member states.
atypical meeting
The post-Brexit path of Britain within Europe is a central topic in Paris this week. The meeting with Macron has been described as atypical because the French president does not normally host opposition leaders. Starmer’s pole position in the polls compared to the Conservative Party—about 20 points ahead—helps justify this diplomatic exception. British officials have downplayed the event, noting that meetings between heads of government and opposition leaders are not unusual in international practice. Earlier visits by leaders like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to meet Tony Blair and David Cameron pre-election illustrate similar precedents.
The French government has stressed that the relationship between Macron and Starmer is dynamic and that the Paris talks hold real significance. With the UK headed toward a general election in roughly a year, the two nations continue to seek pragmatic cooperation. Macron even informed the British prime minister of the meeting during the G20 summit in New Delhi earlier this month to reinforce the sense of ongoing dialogue.