Starmer announces UK and Ireland to host annual summit to ‘reset’ relations after Brexit

Sir Keir Starmer has announced that the UK and Ireland will hold annual summits on trade and cooperation in a bid to “reset the relationship” between the two countries.

During his first official visit to Dublin, the Prime Minister and Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris agreed on the themes and structures for the first summit in March 2025.

An “à la carte” Brexit readjustment is not on the agenda, Ireland’s deputy prime minister has warned. He added that while the EU wants a “good and warm relationship” with the UK, Starmer will not be able to “pick and choose” the new terms.

Micheál Martin also blamed Brexit for the deterioration of relations between the neighbouring countries.

The two leaders met at Farmleigh House on Saturday before watching England’s football team match against the Republic of Ireland.

On his arrival, Mr Harris wished Sir Keir a “hundred thousand welcomes” and said: “We both said we were very keen to put Anglo-Irish relations on a new path and I really appreciate the time you have given us since you took office and I have tried to reciprocate in kind.

“We obviously had a call within hours of you arriving in Downing Street, we had a very productive meeting at Chequers in July, and I think today we’re here in Dublin probably trying to set out what a reset actually looks like, and what it looks like in a practical sense for our citizens on both islands.”

Mr Harris said a reset of relations must be rooted in “peace and prosperity, mutual respect and friendship”.

At a roundtable discussion with Irish business leaders, issues of justice, climate, culture, education and digitalisation were identified as areas of possible collaboration.

Starmer added that there was a need to be “ambitious and bold” when considering regulatory reform and trade barriers.

The first summit was announced to focus on four areas: security, justice and global issues; climate, energy technology and innovation; growth, trade and investment; and culture, education and people-to-people relations.

In a joint statement, the leaders said this includes shared interest in areas such as cybersecurity and maritime security, as well as ties through sport and joint cultural projects.

The two leaders met at Chequers in July, having first spoken hours after Sir Keir entered Downing Street.

Sir Keir said meeting Mr Harris twice in his first nine weeks as prime minister showed a “real intention” to repair relations to the “great benefit” of the UK and Ireland.

He said he was seeking a “broader EU reset” with leaders of the bloc’s countries, after visiting Berlin and Paris last week to build trust with German and French leaders.

Other international issues, including Ukraine and the Middle East conflict, were high on the agenda, while a rally against British arms exports to Israel was held in Dublin city centre to coincide with the visit.

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign said the UK was “complicit in the ongoing genocide and illegal occupation of Palestine”.

Mr Harris said relations between the two countries could face challenges, particularly during the match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, but added: “We will have an intense, friendly contest and then we will pick up and reset again later this evening.”

Asked about England manager Lee Carsley’s announcement that he would not sing the British anthem, Sir Keir said: “I will be singing the national anthem and we are in a fantastic reset in the relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom, but the Taoiseach and I have already agreed that for 90 minutes we will suspend the reset and put more energy into it afterwards because we will be cheering on different sides.

“So I will sing the national anthem. What others do is their business.”