Starmer builds on 'coalition of willing' to set up new EU deal

Landmark UK-EU summit set to agree broad partnership for defence and security

- Rachel Sylvester & Catherine Neilan

Keir Starmer is pivoting towards Europe after securing trade deals with the US and India, amid signs of a realignment that is allowing the UK to rebuild a closer relationship with the EU after Brexit.

The government has concluded the EU now offers a “more stable partnership” than the US under Donald Trump's presidency, senior figures say. A landmark UK-EU summit in London is expected to agree a wide-ranging defence and security partnership and set out other areas of potential collaboration on trade, energy and youth mobility.

Senior Whitehall sources say the meeting on 19 May will be the “start of the process” rather than the end point for the deeper relationship. The outlines of a deal between the UK and the EU are becoming clear ahead of the summit. There is expected to be a formal agreement signed on security and defence, and other areas for future cooperation will be set out with a roadmap for negotiations.