Starmer defends 2,500 mile trip to climate change summit saying his focus is economy and small boats
Sir Keir Starmer has defended his visit to a climate change summit 2,500 miles from the UK, insisting he is using the trip to boost the economy and tackle the small boats crisis.
The Prime Minister arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, late on Monday night for an overnight visit to the Cop29 climate change summit which helps to set the UK’s net zero goals.
Starmer will have spent 22 days away from the UK on overseas trips between September 1 and the end of next week’s G20 summit in Brazil.
Asked by GB News on the flight to Baku why he was not in the UK focusing on the surge in small boats crossings, long NHS waiting lists and making the streets safer, the Prime Minister said he was using the visits to focus on the UK’s economy and small boats crisis.
He claimed: “I know you have been interested in this question of spending time internationally – I think the key question for me is what am I spending my time on, wherever I am…
“And the two key priorities for me on all of these engagements with our partners is: our economy and economic growth and border control and border security – they are the two dominant themes.”
Starmer said he had used a visit to the United Nations General Assembly in September to unveil a £10billion investment by Blackstone into the UK economy.
He said: “Similarly everywhere I go when I engage with international partners they are also engaging with international investors because I am going to stop at nothing to get that global investment into our country.”
He added that border security had come up in his meetings in Italy with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and in Germany with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as well as at the European Political Community meeting last week.
Starmer also described his talks today with France’s President Emmanuel Macron as “in-detailed discussion about what we are going to do to take down the gangs, running this vile trade including the work we have been doing on the north coast of France”.
He added: “So for me my focus is on what are the priorities of the British people and how do I make sure I am carrying out those obligations.
“In order to smash the gangs we have got to talk to our international partners, otherwise it is rhetoric and I am interested in results.
“So for me it is less where I am and what am I focusing on – and the economy and border control are the two things which dominate in every single one of these international engagements.”
Starmer is expected to use the Cop29 summit to call on countries to come together to tackle climate change.
“Britain must work with other countries to combat climate change, solving these urgent problems at their root and tackling the causes, because our country is stronger when we do,” the Prime Minister said.
“This is why I have travelled to the Cop29 summit in Baku, to harness international co-operation in order to protect our country’s security and prosperity.
“The UK is wasting no time to accelerate the global transition to clean energy and put us at the forefront of the industries of the future, creating jobs and growth across the country.”