What's happened
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent meeting with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni has sparked criticism from within his party. Starmer praised Meloni's immigration policies while discussing ways to address irregular migration across the English Channel, raising concerns about aligning with far-right politics.
Why it matters
What the papers say
The Independent highlights concerns from Labour figures like Mish Rahman and Diane Abbott, who criticize the government's approach to immigration and the potential rise in racism. The Mirror's Jason Beattie notes the discomfort within Labour regarding Starmer's association with Meloni, emphasizing the need for principled leadership. Meanwhile, Politico reports on Starmer's pragmatic stance, suggesting that collaboration with Meloni is aimed at addressing pressing migration issues, despite the ideological differences. The Japan Times underscores the urgency of the migration crisis, noting the rising death toll among migrants attempting to cross the Channel. Overall, the coverage reflects a tension between political pragmatism and ethical considerations in immigration policy.
How we got here
Starmer's meeting with Meloni comes amid rising migration numbers to the UK, with over 24,000 migrants crossing the English Channel this year. The Labour leader's approach contrasts with previous government policies, including the scrapped Rwanda scheme, as he seeks new solutions to immigration challenges.
More on these topics
-
Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
-
Albania, officially the Republic of Albania, is a country in Southeast Europe on the Adriatic and Ionian Sea within the Mediterranean Sea.
-
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a sovereign country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands. Italy is located in south-central Europe, and is considered part of western Europe.
-
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northÂwestern coast of the European mainland.
-
The English Channel, also called simply the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France and links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end.
-
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south, Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisi
-
Nigel Paul Farage is a British politician. He has been leader of the Brexit Party since 2019, and served as Member of the European Parliament for South East England from 1999 until the United Kingdom's exit from the EU in 2020.
-
The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
-
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 North American and European countries.
-
Rishi Sunak is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2022.
-
Diane Julie Abbott is a British politician who served as the Shadow Home Secretary in the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn from 2016 to 2020. She has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987.