Burnham has arrived in Kyiv this morning for his first foreign trip (absent of any holidays) since becoming PM. He’s wearing a zip polo shirt…
He has publicly authorised the exchange of Storm Shadow missile production blueprints with Ukraine such that they can produce the missiles themselves. Technically they’ll be producing the French Scalps because they have a pre-existing agreement with France that the UK is jumping on…
It is Ukraine’s independence day today. Burnham also met European Council president Antonio Costa on the train to Kyiv. The readout goes as follows:
“Turning to the UK’s relationship with the European Union, the two leaders underlined the importance of being ambitious to drive a step change in relations. The UK had to be bolder in terms of getting closer to the bloc, the Prime Minister said. That included building on the close defence and security ties already forged between the UK and European Allies to drive greater cooperation across all areas of the relationship, he added.
The UK-EU summit set to be held later this year, would offer a platform to continue that work, the leaders agreed. Both looked forward to seeing one and another at the Coalition of the Willing later today.”
Rejoin-the-EU fan Burnham has to decide to what extent he wants to go further than Starmer for the rescheduled EU summit. What will he give away?
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.”