Burnham, Macron talk border security and stronger Europe-UK ties

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The talks, held at Burnham’s Downing Street office on Thursday, marked the first time the prime minister has hosted a European leader since taking over the reins from former Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on July 20.

Burnham and Macron discussed shared challenges, including small boat crossings and the “emerging use of mega dinghies” transporting undocumented migrants and asylum seekers to England’s south coast, according to a United Kingdom government press release.

Downing Street said the UK saw the lowest number of small boat arrivals since 2020, but “the government will not stop bearing down on the criminal gangs facilitating the dangerous crossings”, the statement said.

The British prime minister is also seeking closer post-Brexit cooperation with Europe in a bid to boost sluggish domestic growth.

He has said Britain must be “bolder” in getting closer to the EU but has refused to scrap his predecessor’s rejection of rejoining the bloc’s single market or customs union and returning to its internal freedom of movement rules.

Complicating matters is concern that the EU’s Made in Europe agenda, which seeks to protect the steel industries of states in the 27-nation bloc, could harm Britain’s struggling steel sector.

Macron disse que era um “muito importante momento” para as relações entre os dois países, acrescentando que estava “aqui com vontade e compromisso de se aproximar cada vez mais”.

On the subject of defence, Downing Street said the leaders discussed the next steps on establishing local assembly lines in Ukraine for the long-range missile, SCALP, which uses British technology, and reflected on the successful Coalition of the Willing meeting in Kyiv last week.

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