Good morning. For the past seven years, the relationship between France and the UK has been marred by post-Brexit tensions that have created rows over everything from fishing rights to immigration. During her leadership campaign, Liz Truss said that the “jury was still out” on whether Emmanuel Macron was a friend or a foe – and under Boris Johson relations between the two countries plummeted to historic lows, with Macron reportedly referring to Johnson in private as a “clown” in charge of a “circus”.
The war in Ukraine has put things sharply back in focus however, and reinvigorated the appetite to move towards a new, more cooperative, dynamic. Rishi Sunak will meet with Macron today to discuss an array of issues in the first bilateral summit in five years. The agenda is jam packed: the refugee crisis in the Channel, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Iran’s nuclear programme, the environment, Brexit and more. Above all, they will show the world that Europe’s two biggest military powers are firmly aligned.
For today’s newsletter, I spoke to the chief foreign editor of the French daily newspaper Libération, Sonia Delesalle-Stolper, about what this summit could tell us about the future of Franco-British relations. That’s right after the headlines.
Five big stories
Hamburg | At least seven people have been killed and dozens injured after a shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness centre in the northern German city of Hamburg. Police said on Thursday evening that the gunman was believed to be among the dead, and that a motive was as yet unclear.
NHS | More than 500 seriously ill patients died last year before they could get treatment in hospital after the ambulance they called for took up to 15 hours to reach them, an investigation by the Guardian has revealed. The fatalities included people who had had a stroke or heart attack, or who had been involved in a road traffic collision.
Ukraine | Ukrainian forces are still trying to hold Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region, despite being pummelled on three sides by Russian forces. The city has become the centre of one of the longest and bloodiest battles since the war began.
Meta | WhatsApp’s head has said it would not comply with Online Safety Bill requirements that attempt to outlaw end-to-end encryption. “There isn’t a way to change it in just one part of the world,” Will Cathcart said. “Some countries have chosen to block it: that’s the reality of shipping a secure product. But we’ve never seen a liberal democracy do that.”
Boris Johnson | Boris Johnson has once again nominated Paul Dacre for a peerage as part of a pared-back resignation honours list, despite the Daily Mail chief having previously been rejected by the appointments watchdog, the Guardian has learned.
In depth: ‘Negotiating and a good relationship is probably better than the antagonism we’ve seen over the past seven years’
Macron and Sunak share a lot of similarities: they are both relatively young, former investment bankers who went to elite schools and wear very well-tailored suits. Unlike the previous two prime ministers, Sunak shares an air of centre-right sensibility with Macron – they are polished, wealthy and are both seen to be protecting the interests of business above all else. Unfortunately for them, according to the latest polls this outward glossiness is struggling to win over voters, with both countries in the midst of aggressive strike action from unions.
We will see today whether their similarities will help to heal the diplomatic rift that has developed over the last few years.
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The ice is thawing
While Sunak is a relatively unknown figure to the French public, there is a clear understanding, Sonia Delesalle-Stolper says, that the mood has shifted because of his willingness to repair a badly damaged relationship: “There is suddenly, from Sunak’s government, the idea that actually discussing, negotiating and having a good relationship with your closest neighbour is probably better for everyone than the antagonism which we have seen over the past seven years.”
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What about Brexit?
While Brexit remains a tiresome fixture in British political discourse, France has long since moved on it seems. “The interesting thing being a former UK correspondent and now a foreign editor in France is seeing how much Brexit is still in the minds of the UK and not at all in the common conversation or the newspapers in France,” Delesalle-Stolper says.
This is not to say that France has not felt the repercussions of Brexit, Delesalle-Stolper says, pointing to the dramatic reduction in the number of school trips from France to the UK because of visa problems. “For lots of schools going to the UK to learn English and have fun for a week was the highlight of the year. All that has stopped,” Delesalle-Stolper explains.
The same applies to older students who may want to do a year abroad and work in the UK before resuming their studies. Despite these everyday inconveniences though, Brexit is still peripheral in the French zeitgeist. “Even if you look at the coverage of the Windsor framework agreement, it’s there, but it’s minimal. It’s not front page news at all,” Delesalle-Stolper adds.
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Asylum seekers
Sunak has made it a priority to “stop small boats” from crossing the Channel, unveiling an immigration bill to tackle the issue, that has since been condemned by the United Nations for “extinguishing the right to seek refugee protection in the UK”. Going into this summit, both Macron and Sunak are expected to agree to keep working together on the issue but they will probably hit an impasse as the UK believes that France is not doing enough and, unsurprisingly, France thinks the opposite.
“France has the feeling that it’s done quite a lot to try to regulate and stop those boats from crossing the channel but the fact is Britain has completely blocked any legal asylum seeking routes so the only way they can get there is through the sea,” Delesalle-Stolper says. “France is dealing with many more asylum seekers than Britain and, the truth is, if they are trying to go to the UK there’s usually a real reason like they have some family there or they speak English.” (For more information, read Jon Henley’s brilliant explainer on how the two countries have been dealing with the small boats crisis).
While there is inevitably some hostile rhetoric from far-right political parties and certain conservative politicians in France, Delesalle-Stolper says there is generally a greater understanding that asylum is a complex issue that “you can’t resolve by acting on your own because, obviously, the roots of the problems are far more global,” and the UK needs to be ready to come into a broader conversation about tackling the underlying causes as well as taking their fair share of refugees.
According to French officials, Macron will reject all demands from the UK for a returns agreement for asylum seekers crossing the Channel, as it would be a politically toxic option for him. He is expected, however, to ask for a multi year settlement to help France deal with the crisis in the Channel. So, despite the new friendliness, any kind of agreement seems hard to reach.
Ultimately, this summit is likely to mean far more symbolically than in concrete deals. But it is, at least, a first step towards greater cooperation between the two countries on the growing number of pressing problems they both face.
What else we’ve been reading
With a former footballer capturing the headlines for his views on immigration, Sid Lowe’s entertaining interview with Spanish striker Borja Iglesias (above) is a fascinating picture of a player willing to do his talking off the pitch, not just on it. Toby Moses, head of newsletters
In the Atlantic (£), Syreeta McFadden writes about Black Archives: A Photographic Celebration of Black Life, a new book which highlights the overlooked people who have captured ordinary, delicate moments of Black life in America. Nimo
Moya Lothian-McLean has embraced her inner “middle-class, urban millennial working in a creative field” – and writes stirringly about moving away from a negative sense of self, to one more open to life choices (like listening to Radiohead) that she may once have dismissed as “basic”. Toby
Growing up, Barbie dolls never looked like Maggie Aderin-Pocock. She writes about the experience of having one modelled in her image all these years later, as a black space scientist. Nimo
There’s been so much controversy around Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar nomination that the talent of one of the great actor’s of her generation has been somewhat erased – this Top 10 is a helpful reminder of the stunning performances she is capable of. Toby
Yesterday’s newsletter was missing a link to Jess Cartner-Morley’s review of Paris fashion week. Apologies, you can read it here
Sport
Tennis | Clare Balding (above) has been revealed as the new face of the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage, replacing Sue Barker. Balding, who has had an illustrious career covering seven Olympic Games, has described her new role as a “huge honour”.
Cricket | Bangladesh cruised to victory against world champions England, winning by six wickets in their opening T20 international in Chattogram.
Football | Manchester United bounced back in the Europa League last-16 first leg, with a 4-1 win over Real Betis. Elsewhere, Arsenal remain in the box seat for a place in the quarter-finals, despite a lacklustre 2-2 draw with Sporting CP.
The front pages
The Guardian reveals, “at least 500 people died after ambulance delays last year”, with figures showing patients waited up to “15 hours after heart attacks or crashes”.
The Times reports that, “HS2 will be delayed by another two years”, while the i says, “Levelling up plans under threat as HS2 hit by cuts and two-year delay”. The Mirror rechristens the project: “Huge Shambles 2”.
The Telegraph claims there’s alarm at new education guidance which places no limits on what can be taught to children, under the headline: “Ofsted chief warning over explicit sex lessons”. The Financial Times reports, “Russian oligarchs Fridman and Aven to offload Alfa-Bank stake for $2.3bn”.
Finally the Mail has “Lineker’s playing the BBC for fools”, with the latest on the Match of the Day host’s comments on the government’s proposed migration bill.
Something for the weekend
Our critics’ roundup of the best things to watch, read and listen to right now
TV
You (Netflix)
The cast is inconsistent, the satire is shallow, plot lines materialise out of nowhere and are unceremoniously dropped with jarring frequency, and its largest twist is laughable. And yet, it is perfect. While the first half of season four vacillated between bad, good and so-bad-it’s-good with aplomb, the second broadens the spectrum from astonishingly terrible to utterly brilliant. Leila Latif
Music
Mae Muller – I Wrote a Song
The song isn’t terrible, but nor, one suspects, would it attract the kind of attention it’s getting were it not our Eurovision entry. The corner of pop in which it plants its flag is a cutthroat business in which hits are generally made by paying vast sums of money to large teams of songwriters-for-hire, there to ensure nothing is left to chance. If I Wrote a Song had been intended for Dua Lipa, one of said team would have done something about its faintly naff chorus long before it was presented for her consideration. It’s certainly better than most of our entries in recent years, but whether that makes it good enough is another matter entirely. Alexis Petridis
Film
Meet Me in the Bathroom
Another type of documentary might have been a little more dispassionate about the Strokes and their nepo baby backgroundand that they met at that most un-rock’n’roll of places, a Swiss boarding school. However the standout star is the passionate and fierce Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs (above), a Korean-American musician for whom music was an escape from racism and sexism. Peter Bradshaw
Podcast
Breaking Mississippi
BBC Sounds, all episodes out on Mon
This powerful podcast tells the story of James Meredith, the first Black student at the University of Mississippi. At nearly 90, it’s precious to hear him tell his story and in the first episode journalist Jenn White covers how his segregated upbringing and forward-thinking father inspired his quest for equality. Hannah Verdier
Today in Focus
Is ‘Stop the boats’ a slogan without a solution?
At the start of the year, Rishi Sunak made stopping small boats bringing people across the Channel one of his key priorities. This week he unveiled his plan: those who cross into Britain outwith ‘safe and legal’ routes would be detained, deported and banned for life from ever achieving citizenship.
Hannah Moore speaks to Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, to find out whether Sunak’s government is more concerned with looking tough, than in actually solving the problem of tens of thousands of desperate people making that perilous Channel crossing each year.
Cartoon of the day | Martin Rowson
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
Frey Bentos pies, Smash, Angel Delight and more are on the menu in this nostalgic round-up of Guardian writers revisiting their favourite childhood foods.
“Much like a bag of Revels, there’s an order for eating tinned fruit cocktail. It returns to me instantly after 40-odd years: grape, pear, peach, pineapple and cherries saved for last,” remembers Emma Beddington on her selection. But how is it now? “Amazing. It’s a cosseting, delicious almost-nothing and I smash through the whole thing in seconds. Then I drink the ‘light syrup’ as if my molars and pancreas mean nothing to me and enjoy a wild half-hour sugar rush before crashing into deep torpor.”
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until Monday.
