Starmer’s International Success

Keir Starmer’s election looked to be the beginning of a new era of British politics – an end to 14 years of conservative incompetency and the horrors of austerity. 

Over the past 18 months, progress has felt slow, with many voters left dissatisfied. As a result, Starmer and his cabinet have seen much – mostly valid – scrutiny. There are, however, areas in which Starmer has excelled, a major for me being his leadership on the international stage.

Starmer’s pragmatic approach has provided much needed stability in an increasingly unstable political climate. From managing Trump’s tariff tantrums to rekindling alliances, he has been an asset to the British public, and something no other party could have provided. 

Speaking in Guildhall, London on the 1^st December, Starmer laid his philosophy bare, stressing his ambition for an engaged and outward looking Britain, ambitious about a return to the “top table” of geopolitics.

Throughout, he rejected and shut down what he called an “attitude of impunity”, fiercely opposing calls for British departure from NATO or its European allies, talking instead of stronger relationships with immediate allies, but also further, with Beijing. 

His speech is encapsulated by his closing statement, that “internationalism is patriotism” – a view seconded by Canada’s Mark Carney who, similarly, has defended the necessity of his international trips. 

Starmer has since visited Beijing, the first PM to do so since Theresa May in 2018, in a move hoped to thaw the “ice age” relationship of the past 8 years. 

Starmer is the latest of several western leaders to seek improved relations with the superpower in response to the volatility of the US under Trump. In a 3-hour meeting with President Xi, new agreements regarding visa-free travel, as well as the promise of a ‘feasibility study’ on a service sector agreement which could open up the extensive Chinese market to UK firms, promise massive trade, investment and job opportunities.

These agreements have already yielded support from British industry, with British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca pledging $15 billion of investment as well as business leaders from HSBC and KPMG welcoming the move.

The meeting was criticised by President Trump as “very dangerous”, but business minister Sir Chris Bryant retorted that it would be “bonkers” to ignore China’s presence. This widening of horizons is an important step in expanding opportunities for British businesses and citizens as well as changing attitudes towards US orthodoxy – overdue under the current administration and something likely to prove beneficial for the UK.

Starmer’s management of Trump more generally has been another strength, with his level-headed approach guiding him in a way that would not be seen among other British party leaders.

A key example of this is Starmer’s unwavering support for Ukraine, despite American pressure, maintaining Europe as “strong and united” behind Ukraine, with military loans paid for by frozen Russian assets, as well a leadership position in his ‘Coalition of the willing’.

More recently, Starmer has been vocal against Trump’s comments on NATO (and British) involvement in Afghanistan, condemning them as “insulting and […] appalling” in defence of the 457 British dead. Trump later responded by posting to Truth Social about the bravery and greatness of British soldiers.

At the same time, Starmer has managed to maintain trade ties with the US, even following the liberation day tariffs back in April in which the UK received the lowest level of 10% while many allies suffered much worse. Since, export tariffs on cars and the aerospace industry have fallen dramatically with rates on cars falling from 27.5% to 10% and the altogether removal of tariffs on aerospace goods like engines and aircraft parts. This deal – achieved only by the UK – helps protect the British engineering industry, including iconic companies like Rolls Royce, as well as thousands of jobs.

On European relations, Starmer has also been strong, speaking clearly not only on Ukraine but also on his European ambitions. A critic of Brexit, Starmer is seeking a reset of European relations, aiming to reduce trade barriers for British firms and improve opportunities for young people through schemes like Erasmus. These have been met with positivity, reflecting the general regret of Brexit among the British public.

Since agreeing to take British agriculture and energy back in line with European standards back in May, he has expressed desire to further integrate, stating “there are other areas in the single market where we should look to see whether we can't make more progress”. This indicates a desire for closer European relations, a step away from American reliance.

Beyond the single market, Starmer has defended European allies, particularly in the recent case of Greenland. Starmer has remained steadfast in his defence of European allies and critical of President Trump’s imperialism, restating that Greenland’s future belongs to the people of Greenland alone proving himself a principled leader, where others may not be.

Clearly, Starmer has served the British people well on the international stage, working to improve post-Brexit relations and Britain's independence, though this has come at the cost of strong domestic policy. These changes are promising for the British people and may indicate changes to the current world order, with a shift away from individual superpowers towards alliances of middle powers.