Starmer seeks new UK-Germany treaty to rebuild post-Brexit ties

Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Germany for discussions on a new bilateral treaty aimed at “moving beyond Brexit to rebuild relationships” with the EU. He is set to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday to explore a deal designed to “boost business and trade, deepen defence and security cooperation, and increase joint action on illegal migration”. Downing Street anticipates six months of negotiations for the treaty, which they describe as “a key pillar of the UK’s wider reset with Europe”, with hopes of signing it by early 2025.

Before the trip, Sir Keir emphasised the need to “turn a corner on Brexit and fix the broken relationships left behind by the previous government”. The treaty with Germany is expected to cover market access, science and technology collaboration, clean energy and energy security, North Sea trade, and supply chain “resilience”. They will also discuss enhancing intelligence sharing to combat people smuggling gangs responsible for much of the illegal migration in Europe.

In addition to meeting Chancellor Scholz and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Sir Keir will engage with the chief executives of Siemens and Rheinmetall.

Following his German visit, Sir Keir will travel to Paris for the Paralympics opening ceremony on Wednesday night. The next morning, he will meet French business leaders for breakfast and later convene with President Emmanuel Macron. Sir Keir stated: “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset our relationship with Europe and strive for genuine, ambitious partnerships that deliver for the British people.” He stressed the importance of strengthening ties with these countries to address illegal migration and boost economic growth in the UK and across Europe, which he sees as a key mission of his government.

This trip follows the prime minister’s warning of “painful” decisions in the upcoming budget set for October, citing a £22bn “black hole” in public finances attributed to the previous Conservative government. In a speech on Tuesday at Number 10, he hinted at potential tax increases, asserting that “those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden” and “those who made the mess should have to do their bit to clean it up”. He acknowledged he would need to “turn to the country and make big asks of you as well, to accept short-term pain for long-term good”.

Tory shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott, criticised the government for “rolling the pitch to break even more promises” after previously pledging not to increase taxes on treaty during the last election, calling it “a betrayal of people’s trust”.