There was some disappointment among EU officials in June when Keir Starmer’s deep unpopularity at home led to his resignation as UK prime minister – and the postponement of an EU-UK ‘reset’ summit in London planned for July.
On Monday (7 September), the new Europe minister Hamish Falconer held his first meeting with EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, whose portfolio also includes UK relations.
Though both sides were tight-lipped after the sit down, officials in London and Brussels plan to hold an EU-UK summit in November.
With the exception of a trip to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky, new prime minister Andy Burnham has spent most of his first weeks in power touring Britain, launching a series of modest but popular campaigns – including ending homelessness – and promising hope.
To those who have followed Burnham’s ascent to power, this agenda is no surprise. Unlike his predecessor Keir Starmer, who last week announced he would quit British politics entirely to focus on “global diplomacy, defence, and international affairs”, the new PM has always been more interested in domestic politics.
