UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss bilateral issues including Channel crossings, defense, and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Burnham highlighted the strength of UK-EU collaboration.
The meeting signifies ongoing diplomatic engagement between the UK and EU on critical shared challenges, particularly immigration and security, highlighting the importance of bilateral cooperation despite Brexit.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday to discuss a range of bilateral issues, including efforts to curb illegal Channel crossings, defense cooperation, and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Burnham, who became Prime Minister in July, described Macron as "our nearest neighbour and close friend" and praised the UK-EU relationship, stating that collaboration was achieving results on issues like small boats and support for Ukraine.
The meeting took place outside Downing Street, with both leaders posing for photographs with their wives. Macron's visit to the UK also included a meeting with King Charles at the British Museum to mark the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry.
Discussions on Channel crossings focused on tackling "mega dinghies" carrying more people. The UK government announced the deployment of an additional 45 police officers to French beaches as part of a surge team. Home Office Minister Anna Turley stated that over 1,000 officers are already on French beaches, actively intervening to prevent crossings. Despite these efforts, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch commented that the boats are not stopping and questioned the effectiveness of significant UK spending on French border control.