Andy Burnham will open diplomatic engagements with European leaders by hosting French President Emmanuel Macron as the first foreign head of state to visit him at Downing Street.
The prime minister will meet the French president at No 10 on Thursday, seeking progress on several foreign‑policy goals such as curbing irregular migration and finalizing a new EU agreement.
This meeting represents one of Burnham’s initial foreign‑policy initiatives, after he pledged to concentrate on domestic matters, and precedes an imminent EU summit that may dictate much of his forthcoming economic agenda.
Burnham said in a Wednesday statement: “The progress made this summer in reducing small‑boat crossings demonstrates what can be achieved when the UK and France work together.
“But I am clear that we cannot be complacent. Smuggling gangs are constantly adapting their tactics, and the UK and France need to respond quickly and stay one step ahead of the criminals facilitating the dangerous crossings.
“The small boats crisis is a shared European challenge, and no country can solve it alone. Working with France and our international partners, we will restore order and control to our borders and prevent smugglers exploiting vulnerable migrants.”
Despite focusing largely on domestic concerns like the cost of living since taking office, Burnham is now confronting international crises as well.
Last month he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to celebrate the country’s Independence Day and announced the declassification of sensitive military information to enable Ukraine to produce more cruise missiles.
On Thursday he will discuss migration, EU relations, Ukraine and the war in Iran with Macron.
The two leaders will announce additional resources for French police to help stop small boats launched from the northern French coast and larger “mega‑dinghies” departing from the western coast.
Downing Street said on Wednesday that the number of French officers handling small‑boat crossings in northern France will soon rise to almost 1,050, an increase of roughly a quarter over four months.
The teams will include a specialist 75‑person unit to seize equipment and arrest smugglers on land. A separate intelligence unit will expand from 18 to 30 officers, while another 45 officers will be deployed to the west coast.
Irregular migration has slipped down the political agenda in recent weeks as small‑boat crossings have declined.
This week Burnham credited the drop to a seven‑year low to his predecessor Keir Starmer’s efforts against smuggling gangs, though experts note that external factors such as improved security in Syria have also contributed.
The prime minister will also use the meeting to press Macron for support in renegotiating Britain’s treaty with the EU.
Brussels postponed a scheduled summit from July to give the new prime minister time to review tentative agreements reached under Starmer, with a fresh deal expected in early November.
European nations have been urging the UK to agree on a new youth mobility scheme and to allow their students to pay home fees at British universities—concessions that Starmer was prepared to make, according to recent reports.
Burnham, however, may adopt a stricter stance on the number of young people he is willing to admit under the scheme, having pledged to subject all government policies to a “Makerfield test” that measures them against the views of his constituents.
In return, Britain is seeking new agreements to facilitate trade in electricity and agricultural products, which officials hope will provide a timely boost to the UK economy.
The prime minister told The Guardian last year that he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU, but has since said he would not actively pursue that goal while in office.