Andy Burnham is set to host Emmanuel Macron in London next week as part of a push for closer relations with the EU. The French President's visit will be the first by a European Union leader since Mr Burnham entered 10 Downing Street last month.
The pair are expected to take part in a bilateral meeting, while Mr Macron will attend the formal opening of the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum, Politico reports.
Brexit 'reset' on the agenda
The ongoing Brexit "reset" is set to be on the agenda as Mr Burnham continues his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer's drive for stronger relations with Brussels. The PM last week called for Britain to be "bolder" in closer ties with Brussels. He told the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, that "greater co-operation" was needed across all areas.
Later, Downing Street declined to expand on what being "bolder" would mean, with a spokeswoman saying they would not provide a "running commentary" on negotiations with the bloc.
Priorities and upcoming engagements
Before he entered No 10, Mr Burnham wrote in The Times: "I want to consolidate the progress made on the existing UK-EU negotiations and make further progress quickly, including by strengthening our co-operation on illegal migration, economic security and the broader resilience of our societies to external threats — from terrorism to AI-driven disinformation."
During his campaign to win the Brexit-voting Makerfield constituency in the crunch by-election, he U-turned on previous comments that he wanted to see the UK back in the EU within his lifetime. An EU summit, which was postponed in July due to Sir Keir's resignation, will take place later this year. While no date has been confirmed, Mr Burnham is thought to be planning it in October.
It comes after Mr Burnham, who has largely focused on domestic issues such as the cost of living since entering 10 Downing Street, made his first trip to war-torn Ukraine as Prime Minister earlier this week. And he is expected to head to the US next month to join European leaders in lobbying Donald Trump on support for Ukraine when the UN General Assembly meets.
