Whichever way you slice it, Keir Starmer’s invitation to dinner in Brussels is a big moment. For the first time since Brexit, the UK prime minister is sitting down for an informal summit with the 27 EU leaders.
Five years on from its departure from the bloc, the UK has a Labour government populated with politicians who are far more sympathetic to Europe than their Conservative predecessors. Starmer was a committed remainer who spent years steering his party towards endorsing a second referendum. Most of the cabinet privately think Brexit was an act of self-harm – and David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has reportedly been arguing that the UK should now rejoin the customs union.
