An open letter to Keir Starmer: Ten suggestions on how to foster better relations with Europe

This publication is an open letter

Dear Keir,

Congratulations on your outstanding victory. There are a huge number of difficult dossiers in your in-tray, but you will soon have to focus on your European partners. You will meet many of them at the NATO summit in Washington on July 10^th-11^th, and then an even wider group when the European Political Community (EPC) gathers at Blenheim Palace on July 18^th. When you were shadow Brexit secretary you became an expert on the EU. But during the election campaign you said very little about it, for the understandable reason that doing so might have deterred Leave voters from switching back to Labour. But now, as a prime minister with a huge majority, you need to decide how to implement your manifesto promise to “deepen ties with our European friends”. Many (but not all) Labour voters will be urging you not to forget that pledge. A lot of people – including we at the CER – have already given you advice on your European strategy. What follows are ten suggestions that could help you to improve relations with the EU.