British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Ireland on Saturday to meet with his Irish counterpart for the first time after Brexit in an effort to reset relations between the two countries following years of tension after the U.K.’s exit from the European Union.
This visit marks the first time a British leader has traveled to Ireland in five years. It also shows a mutual desire to enhance relations on economic and security fronts. The meeting with Irish Premier Simon Harris comes after Harris was the first international leader hosted by Starmer following his Labour Party’s substantial election victory on July 4.
Harris expressed that both leaders aim to establish a new direction for British-Irish relations and appreciated the engagement from Starmer since taking office. The two walked around the gardens at Farmleigh House in Dublin, the Irish Government’s formal venue for state visits.
British government working to amend strained relations post Brexit
Relations between the countries have been strained since the Brexit vote in June 2016, particularly due to its impact on Northern Ireland’s political structures, which are part of the U.K. When the U.K. left the EU, both the British government and the EU agreed to maintain an open Irish border, crucial for the peace process that ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. Starmer’s Conservative predecessor, Rishi Sunak, renegotiated the initial agreement, gaining support from both sides of the Northern Irish political divide.
Starmer viewed this visit as an opportunity to further strengthen relations with both Ireland and the EU. He expressed his pleasure at renewing the friendship between the two countries and believed that this reset could be both meaningful and profound.
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British government to negotiate post Brexit trade deal
While Starmer has indicated that the U.K. will not seek to rejoin the EU or its single market and customs union under his leadership, he aims to renegotiate aspects of the post-Brexit trade deal to stimulate growth. He has been visiting EU capitals to foster goodwill for this purpose and to stand united on international issues like the war in Ukraine.
The leaders will participate in a business roundtable in Dublin to discuss how improving relations could benefit trade. This economic relationship, valued at around 120 billion euros ($130 billion), supports numerous jobs on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Later, the two leaders will attend a soccer match between Ireland and England, offering a notable photo opportunity. They exchanged jerseys, with Starmer holding an Irish shirt bearing his surname and Harris holding an England jersey with his name. Starmer, an avid soccer player, humorously noted that the shirt would make an appearance in his nine-a-side games and would be proudly worn in north London soon.
Cooperation with EU
After the Labour Party won the July election, returning to power for the first time since 2010, Starmer aimed to enhance cooperation with EU countries. He sought to improve diplomatic ties and trading relations without reexamining the fundamental reasons for Britain’s exit from the bloc.
Britain’s 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU had strained Anglo-Irish relations, particularly over trading rules affecting Northern Ireland, which shares a land border with Ireland and is part of the United Kingdom.
Following the election, Starmer hosted his Irish counterpart Simon Harris in July. The election result was seen in Dublin as an opportunity for a reset in relations. Starmer expressed that the relationship had never fully realized its potential but emphasized the chance to advance the partnership more rapidly and effectively. He mentioned that both he and Harris were aligned about their future and looked forward to further collaboration.
The two leaders planned to meet with businesses before attending a soccer match between the Republic of Ireland and England later that day. A previous match in Dublin in 1995 had been abandoned due to a riot, occurring three years before the Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended three decades of violence in Northern Ireland. In contrast, a 2015 fixture between the teams had passed without significant incident.
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