Keir Starmer signalled that Britain could push to restart negotiations on defence with Brussels amid the growing menace from Russia and strained relations with Donald Trump
The UK and EU could explore closer ties on defence as global threats rise, Keir Starmer said.
The Prime Minister signalled that Britain could push to restart negotiations on defence with Brussels amid the growing menace from Russia and strained relations with Donald Trump ’s White House.
The UK has previously pushed to join Security Action for Europe (Safe), an £130billion EU fund to shore up the continent’s defences. But talks collapsed last year amid reports of a row over entry costs to the programme.
Speaking to reporters on a trip to China and Japan, Mr Starmer said: “Europe, including the UK, needs to do more on security and defence. That’s an argument I’ve been making for many months now with European leaders.
“We’ve got to step up and do more. It’s not only President Trump who thinks Europe needs to do more but other presidents as well. I think the same.”
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He said the UK had made commitments to hike spending on defence but added: “I think we need to go beyond that. I do think on spend, capability and cooperation we need to do more together.
“I’ve made the argument and that should require us to look at schemes like Safe and others to see whether there is a way in which we can work more closely together.
“Whether it’s Safe or other initiatives, it makes good sense for Europe in the widest sense of the word – which is the EU plus other European countries – to work more closely together. That’s what I’ve been advocating and I hope to make some progress on that.”
It comes as the PM pursues closer ties with Europe, six years on from the UK’s formal departure from the EU on January 31 2020. Downing Street wants to move past years of Brexit divisions to chart a new path after Boris Johnson ’s botched deal.
Challenged over attacks from Nigel Farage that his plans are a betrayal of voters, he hit back: “As far as Nigel Farage is concerned, let us remind ourselves that he said if we left the EU it would be £350 million a week for the NHS – that didn’t happen.
“He said if we left the EU there would be less red tape for trading into Europe – try telling that to any business that is trading into Europe. He said if we left the EU regular migration would go down – it quadrupled under the Boris wave.
“So I wouldn’t listen too much to what Nigel Farage has to say about this. It is absolutely clear from the botched deal we got from the last government has caused damage to our economy which is why we have reset that relationship and do want to get closer of defence and scurry, on energy, on emissions and trade and that is why we agreed, already, the SBS agreement on food and agriculture. That will lead to lower prices in our supermarkets which is welcome.“