Starmer claims Britain is back on the world stage at European summit – live

Keir Starmer declared that Britain was “back on the international stage” as he sought to put the UK at the centre of European co-operation and build closer ties with the continent.

Just 13 days into his premiership he scored his first major success as European leaders hailed his plan for a new era in post-Brexit relations.

Hosting them at a summit in Oxfordshire, he also suggested he was open to dealing with the small boats crisis by processing migrants offshore, saying he was a “pragmatist”.

My colleagues Kate Devlin and Tom Watling have the full report on today’s proceedings at Blenheim Palace:

Sir Keir Starmer accused the previous government of a “dereliction of duty” on migration, during his press conference at the end of the European Political Community summit.

The PM said: “We’ve got record numbers this year. We can’t switch that in 24 hours, one week. Two weeks ago today we were still knocking on doors asking people to vote for us. We can’t turn it around that quickly, but the frustration that I have in relation to prisons is across this as well.”

He added: “I’m pleased that we are making up ground, we will continue to do it at pace, but we have been left in a really difficult position yet again by this government which has, it’s been a dereliction of duty because border control is about our national security.

“And rather than address it with a serious answer, they addressed it with a gimmick. The gimmick didn’t work, and we’re left with a very serious situation to try and turn around.”

Sir Keir Starmer has claimed there is a “real sense that Britain is back on the world stage” as he claimed fellow European leaders “are leaving here with a sense of renewed confidence in their relationship with the UK”.

The prime minister told a press conference at Blenheim Palace: “It’s been a very successful session today of the EPC.

“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to host it and to be able to host it here in this splendid place, with the weather – which we can’t take the credit for – has added to the real sense that Britain is back on the world stage.

“And I’m really pleased that most of the leaders if not all of them are leaving here with a sense of renewed confidence in their relationship with the UK, with a real understanding of what we mean by a ‘reset’, and I think looking forward to deepening the bilateral relations that we have with all of them.

“That’s been very much a theme of today.”

Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “build on the relationship that Rishi Sunak put in place” with Italy’s hard-right premier Giorgia Meloni.

Praising his predecessor, the prime minister said Mr Sunak has “been incredibly statesmanlike and generous since the election”, adding: “And I thought he made that very clear in the way that he replied to the King’s Speech yesterday.

“The relationship that he struck up with Italy was important. We’ve got a long relationship between our two countries and we’ve both had the opportunity today to make clear that we want to continue with that strength of relationship.”

Asked about how it feels to be hosting today’s summit weeks after being in opposition, Sir Keir Starmer said: “We’ve worked really hard to get into a position to win an election. We’ve spent 14 years in opposition arguing about what ought to happen, what must happen.

“Now we get the chance to actually deliver for the country. I hope that in the last two weeks I’ve been able to at least give the sense of how we intend to go about that task, as a task of service, a government of service, serving those who voted for us and those who didn’t vote for us.

“And a government that says ‘it’s country first, party second’. And therefore no more gimmicks, no more party policy masquerading as a serious answer to a question, but driven by service.”

He added: “I came into politics late in life. I didn’t come into politics to sit on the opposition benches, voting and losing every night – I’ve tried that, didn’t like it very much. It is much better to be able to deliver on the change that I think is desperately needed across our country.”

There is a “real appetite” for a UK “which is back on the international scene, playing a leading part with maturity, and with a different stance in relation to our relations with Europe – both inside the EU and beyond”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The PM added: “And yes, we do want to get a better [post-Brexit] deal than the deal we’ve got at the moment. We understand the challenge and constraints of any discussions, of course we do. But I do think there’s a closer relationship to be had that includes trade, includes education and research, and includes security.

“That is partly what we mean by the ‘reset’. I think that is understood by our partners and colleagues here. And my strong impression is that we’ve been able to make some real progress today.”

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out offshore processing centres for asylum-seekers.

Asked by the Daily Mail, the PM said: “I am a practical person, I’m a pragmatist, and I’ve always said we’ll look at what works. And where cases can be processed closer to origin, then that is something which of course ought to be looked at.

“The reason I’m putting it this way is because the emphasis today was very much on the practicalities of dealing with the gangs in the first place.”

Asked by Sky News about Donald Trump’s pick for his prospective vice president, JD Vance – who has been critical of further aid for Ukraine – Sir Keir Starmer said: “We will work with whoever is elected into office, as you would expect”.

“That is what I mean about maturity and leadership, not just within Europe but more widely,” he said, adding: “The special relationship that is there between the US and the UK was forged in the most difficult of circumstances, has endured a very long time and we are committed to it.

“I expressed my commitment to Joe Biden and I spoke to President Trump on Sunday evening after the assassination attempt, where again the special relationship featured in our discussion.”

Sir Keir Starmer has said there is a European commitment to an industrial strategy to deal with the shortfall in ammunition production facing allies of Ukraine.

He said he would not “pre-empt” anything after quizzed on the prospect that Europe’s manufacturing limitations meant it would not be able to meaningfully push back against any future American decision to force Ukraine into peace talks.