Sir Keir Starmer‘s ‘bromance’ with Emmanuel Macron was on full display last night as the Prime Minister met with the French President.
In a social media video shared by Sir Keir, the two leaders were shown man-hugging, back-slapping and hand-shaking as they held talks at Chequers.
The footage also revealed how the PM gave Mr Macron a guided tour of his official country residence in Buckinghamshire.
This included Sir Keir excitedly showing the French President a hidden door in the 16th-century manor house.
He also pointed out a chair belonging to Winston Churchill, complete with cigar burns left by Britain’s war-time PM.
Sir Keir and Mr Macron used talks over dinner at Chequers to discuss the PM’s desired ‘reset’ of the UK’s relationship with the EU.
They also spoke about efforts to tackle illegal migration, the West’s ongoing support for Ukraine, and the Middle East crisis.
The meeting came less than two weeks before Donald Trump‘s return as US President, with the PM and Mr Macron agreeing on a ‘need for unity in uncertain times’.
Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘bromance’ with Emmanuel Macron was on full display last night as the Prime Minister met with the French President
Sir Keir and Mr Macron used talks over dinner at Chequers to discuss the PM’s desired ‘reset’ of the UK’s relationship with the EU
In a social media video shared by Sir Keir, the two leaders were shown man-hugging, back-slapping and hand-shaking
The PM gave Mr Macron a guided tour of his official country residence in Buckinghamshire. This included Sir Keir excitedly showing off a hidden door in the 16th-century manor house
Sir Keir also pointed out a chair belonging to Winston Churchill, complete with cigar burns left by Britain’s war-time PM
Both Sir Keir and the French President have clashed with Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and an ally of Mr Trump, in recent days.
The billionaire has launched a barrage of attacks on Sir Keir on X, his social media site, over Labour’s rejection of a new national inquiry into grooming gangs.
The PM accused Mr Musk and others of ‘spreading lies and misinformation’ about the issue, adding they were ‘not interested in victims, they are interested in themselves’.
Meanwhile, Mr Macron attacked the businessman for ‘directly intervening’ in elections around the world, including Germany after Mr Musk expressed support for the hard-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Following the Chequers meeting, a Downing Street spokesperson said: ‘The President began by thanking the PM for the kind invitation, and both noted this was the first visit of a French President to Chequers in a decade.
‘The PM updated the French President on the UK’s reset with the EU, and both leaders agreed on the strength of the UK-France relationship.
‘The PM updated the President on the UK’s new sanctions regime announced today, which will target the financial operations of people smuggling gangs.
‘As an important step in tackling the shared challenge of illegal migration, both leaders agreed to closer bilateral cooperation to prevent the vile trade of small boat crossings in the Channel.
‘Discussing wider global stability, they both underscored the need for unity in uncertain times.
‘On the Middle East, the PM and President agreed on the importance of stability and security in the region, as well as the need to avoid regional escalation.
‘On Ukraine, the leaders reiterated their unwavering support and discussed the importance of ensuring Ukraine is in the strongest possible position in 2025.
‘Turning to the UK-France bilateral summit taking place later this year, the leaders discussed their aims to deepen cooperation on growth, defence, security, AI and energy to deliver for people in both the UK and France.
‘They looked forward to seeing one another soon.’
