Politics latest: Starmer announces ‘groundbreaking’ one in, one out migration deal at press conference

Brexit made it harder to combat illegal migration across the Channel, Emmanuel Macron has said.

The French president told a joint press conference with Sir Keir Starmer: “Since Brexit, and I’m saying all this quite honestly, I know it’s not your case, Prime Minister, but many people in your country explained that Brexit would make it possible to fight more effectively against illegal immigration.

“But it’s in fact since Brexit (that) the UK has no migratory agreement with the EU.”

He added: “It creates an incentive to make the crossing, the precise opposite of what Brexit had promised.”

Referring to “renewed trust” between the UK and Europe after Brexit, he later said the British people were “sold a lie…which is that the problem was Europe, but the problem has become Brexit”.

He said: “With your Government, we’re pragmatic, and for the first time in nine years, we’re providing a response.”

Returning migrants will “break the model” of small boat crossings, Sir Keir Starmer said.

Asked whether the the pilot will have any “serious deterrence effect,” the prime minister said: “Firstly, on the returns pilot, the first thing to appreciate is this is groundbreaking, because this is a scheme intended to break the model and to make it clear that if you cross in a small boat, that you’ll end up where you started.

“And the purpose of that is a pilot to break the model, and therefore, obviously the numbers, if successful, will ramp up, but it’s a pilot to break the model.

“That is the whole point of it.”

Sir Keir Starmer has defended his “groundbreaking” migration deal amid questions over whether or not the deal would return enough migrants to stop the flow of people crossing the channel, promising to go even further if the agreement is successful.

“This is a scheme intended to break the model – to make it clear that if you cross in a small boat you will end up where you started”, Sir Keir said.

“The numbers, if successful, will ramp up. It is groundbreaking and it’s no wonder that for years British governments have been trying to secure a deal because all governments have realised how important this is.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

“Trade is topping the pre-Brexit levels”, Emmanuel Macron boasted at a press conference alongside Sir Keir Starmer.

Hailing newly built close ties between their two countries, the French president’s remarks are a far cry from the fishing wars we saw under Boris Johnson.

The prime minister has been working hard to “reset” relations with Europe since he came into office. While the mission seemed abstract, today’s presser – which has seen the two leaders announce a historic migrant returns agreement and plans to join up their nuclear weapons – is a concrete sign of how momentous these closer ties truly are.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

Whatever the numbers this will be the first time since Brexit that the UK can return people landing illegally on the UK’s shores.

The prime minister was pessimistic about the prospects of his one in, one out deal, but he has got something over the line.

In a day where 200 alone have come across 50 per month may not sound like much.

But the principle of returns has now been established, so this is a victory for Keir Starmer.

There is “no greater demonstration” of the importance of the UK-France relationship than the agreement to coordinate their nuclear deterrents, Sir Keir Starmer said.

He said of the Northwood Declaration: “There is no greater demonstration of the importance of this relationship, and while we stand together for our collective defence, we must also deliver a defence dividend for working people so we’ve agreed a deeper industrial partnership today to bring our defence industries closer than ever before.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Macron nodded along as Starmer hailed the “quiet, serious diplomacy” that has got him to the point of agreeing a historic returns deal with France, and corralled further support for Ukraine.

When it comes to domestic politics, Starmer often faces criticism for not connecting enough with the public or his own MPs.

But when it comes to international affairs, the prime minister’s quiet demeanour has – perhaps surprisingly to some watchers – gone a long way. He did remarkably well with Donald Trump, and has evidently done a good job winning over Emmanuel Macron.

But nothing sums up the UK prime minister quite so well as “quiet and serious”. He’s nothing if not self-aware…

The US joined a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, the prime minister said.

Sir Keir Starmer said: “We’ve strengthened our work to stand together for European security and in support of Ukraine, because I’m clear, the security of the British people starts in Ukraine.

“We have just co-chaired a meeting of the Coalition for the Willing, including representatives from the United States for the first time.

“We announced plans for a new multinational force Ukraine headquartered in Paris, so that we’re ready to support a peace deal when it comes but while (Vladimir) Putin turns his back on peace, we are running more support for Ukraine right now to defend their people and force Putin to the table.”