There was a big row over the weekend as foreign journalists based in London found their accreditation requests for the summit denied. The Foreign Press Association wrote to Starmer to complain: “You state that you want a reset with the EU. You organise a summit between the UK and the EU to restart the relationship. Yet you deny accreditation to almost every European news outlet who has a foreign correspondent in London, leaving out the biggest news agencies, the most important papers, the most trusted broadcasters.” The Cabinet Office blames space restrictions and has blocked some UK-based Lobby journalists too…
After protests the government capitulated and some foreign correspondents were accredited for the summit. Guido hears 28 FPA members in total were accredited with 44 still denied. Did Labour not fancy the EU take on its “eight out of ten” deal?
Expect Downing Street’s ‘New Media Unit’ to be engaging influencers right now to talk up Erasmus and youth mobility changes instead of pandering to print hacks. Proceedings will take place in Lancaster House with a press conference attended by Starmer, von der Leyen and António Costa scheduled for 12.30 p.m. Reports of the deal’s terms are not going down well so far…
Lord Khan in the Telegraph: “I hope, and I say this in a non-pompous way, that the public service I do will bring rewards in this world and the hereafter,” he says. “I’m hoping the work I do is earning me Brownie points.”