Labour eyes UK-EU security ‘pact’ amid fresh concerns over Trump
Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour would seek a new security pact with the EU if it wins the next election.
It comes amid renewed concerns across the continent about the impact a Donald Trump return to the White House may have on Nato and European security.
The Labour leader, who travelled to Munich to meet world leaders at a major security conference, was careful to avoid explicit criticism of the potential next US president. But in setting out his plans for a new security arrangement, he affirmed his party’s “unshakeable commitment” to Nato.
In a lengthy statement as he left the german gathering, he said :“theukandeu face the same threats: not just growing Russian aggression, but instability in the Middle East, a climate emergency and global health crises.
“Closer UK-EU security cooperation through a new security pact can strengthen our shared capacity to respond to these threats and challenges.”
It follows Mr Trump’s recent comments that he would not protect a nation behind on its Nato financial commitments and would “encourage” the aggressors to “do whatever the hell they want”.
Labour’s shadow defence secretary David Lammy has said he is prepared to work with Mr Trump–despite having previouslycalled him a“woman-hating, neo- nazi sympathiser ”.
He told BBC’S Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “We will work with whomever is in the White House, it doesn’t matter, frankly, who is the incumbent of Number 10 or the White House, we are the closest allies. “It’s a prevailing and strong partnership, it will remain that, we should not get too carried away with the rhetoric that of course we’ll all hear over the next few months in an election cycle.”
At the Munich Security Conference, Sir Keir was involved in meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
He has said he would work with member states of Nato to develop a“Democratic Resilience Centre” to counter disinformationand hybrid threats, as well as focus on russian aggression and defence against weapons of the future.