Highlights
- Burnham and Macron hold their first talks on Thursday (3)
- Downing Street said the leaders would focus on tackling the "emerging use of mega dinghies", or larger, more powerful boats.
- A "surge team" of 45 French officers will be deployed on beaches in the coming weeks to tackle such launches
PRIME MINISTER Andy Burnham and French president Emmanuel Macron will hold their first talks on Thursday (3), with migrant boats and the war in Ukraine high on the agenda.
The two leaders met for the first time on Wednesday (2) evening at a preview of an exhibition of France's Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum, along with King Charles III.
Thursday's talks are set to cover joint efforts to stop small boats crossing the Channel. Burnham told French journalists on Wednesday: "We've been working together with the French government around migration, there is more that we can achieve together."
Downing Street said the leaders would focus on tackling the "emerging use of mega dinghies", or larger, more powerful boats.
In the coming weeks, a "surge team" of 45 French officers will be deployed on beaches to tackle such launches, Downing Street said.
The UK recorded the lowest number of small boats carrying migrants crossing the Channel this summer since 2019, the government said on Monday (31), pointing to the success of its enforcement deal with France.
But Burnham said in a Downing Street statement ahead of the meeting that "we cannot be complacent. Smuggling gangs are constantly adapting their tactics, and the UK and France need to respond quickly".
Burnham has maintained London's support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, making his first overseas trip to Kyiv.
"That mattered, just as our joint action within the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine matters," Macron said in his speech at the British Museum, directed at Burnham.
He singled out Britain's release to Ukraine of information on components for the long-range missile, SCALP, the French-produced version of the UK's Storm Shadow.
"We may have had a change of prime minister in Britain, but we have not had a change of direction" on Ukraine, Burnham told French journalists on Wednesday.
Downing Street said discussions were also likely to focus on ensuring stability in the Middle East and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
UK, France ties
Macron remains eager to press his vision of European sovereignty not dependent on the United States, with Britain seen as having a crucial role to play even after its EU divorce.
Paris and London "do not always see eye to eye" but "we respect one another, remain open to discussing everything, including advancing the UK reset with the European Union," the French leader said on Wednesday.
Burnham is eager to build on his predecessor Keir Starmer's efforts to forge closer post-Brexit cooperation with the European Union as he aims to boost sluggish UK growth.
"I think that it's important that I build on what was achieved by my predecessor, who took steps to get back closer," he told journalists.
"I think 10 years on from Brexit, people here are fed up with the (lack of) vision, people see that we need to work closer together."
Anand Menon, a Kings College London politics professor, warned of a danger that talks could feature "style without substance".
"You can have as much of a bromance as you want, but we need progress on the EU negotiations, and I suspect we won't get any movement on that," he noted.
