As The Independent has reported, the deal is not yet “over the line”. The hope on Sir Keir Starmer’s side is that the pomp and sense of occasion of a state visit will put pressure on Emmanuel Macron, the French president, to sign the historic agreement for a “one in, one out” exchange to tackle the small boats crisis.
That has been the British government’s hope on previous occasions, notably when Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir’s predecessor, visited Paris two years ago. Each time a deal has seemed close, but each time Mr Macron has shied away.
