Macron breaks protocol to welcome Starmer to the Elysée

Good evening. Sir Keir Starmer will meet Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée next week, giving him the opportunity to “test” French reactions to his policies.

Meanwhile, three members of Sara Sharif’s family, wanted after her death, return to the UK from Pakistan.

Macron breaks protocol to welcome Starmer to the Elysée

Emmanuel Macron will welcome Sir Keir Starmer to the Elysée next week as the Labor leader “tests the waters” with France.

It is understood that Sir Keir requested the meeting and that France agreed in order to protect the “strategic nature” of its relationship with Britain, whoever is in charge after the next general election.

The Elysée said the French president had informed Rishi Sunak that he would receive Sir Keir for the first time when they met at the G20 summit in India last week.

The meeting, which will take place on Tuesday shortly before the king travels to France for his own state visit, represents a break with protocol for the French president who usually only has tête-à-têtes with leaders of the opposition from his own “political family”. , like those belonging to its European group Renew.