The newly elected Labour government have certainly had a busy weekend. Fresh from being voted in on Friday, Keir Starmer has since announced a new Cabinet, and scrapped the hare-brained Rwanda scheme. But the progress doesn’t stop there.
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Labour get to work, as David Lammy heads to Berlin
David Lammy, the new Foreign Secretary, travelled to Germany on Saturday for his first official engagement in office. He is also expected to visit Poland and Sweden in the next few days, following his visit to Berlin.
Although Labour have vowed not to undo Brexit, Sir Keir has made it clear that his government will seek realignment with the EU – and the first signs of this happening have emerged within 48 hours of his premiership.
German government ‘working with UK’ to improve EU relations
The German Foreign Office Tweeted about Lammy’s diplomatic engagement on Sunday. They stressed the importance of co-operation, and stated that the German Government is now working with Labour ‘to see how the UK can move closer to the UK’.
“The United Kingdom is our close friend and partner. Together we stand up for democracy and freedom in the world. We want to become more resilient in Europe and strengthen the European pillar of NATO.”
“Britain is an indispensable part of Europe. Whether in science, culture or security – we both work closely together: We are working with the new UK government to see how the UK can move closer to the EU.” | German Foreign Office
Will Labour re-establish closer ties between the UK and the EU?
Looking to quell dissent from concerned Brexiteers, David Lammy declared that the UK would not be rejoining the Single Market or the EU Customs Union. In an interview with the Guadrian, the Cabinet Minister said he was seeking to reset the UK’s relationship with Europe.
“We are not going to rejoin the Single Market and the customs union but there is much that we can do together. I want to be absolutely clear, European nations are our friends. It is time to reset our relationship with our allies in Europe”. | David Lammy