Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended his decision to travel to South Africa for the G20 summit, just days before the budget and despite the planned absence of US President Donald Trump. Arriving on Friday morning for two days of discussions, Starmer said the trip would secure investment to help with the cost of living and shore up support for Ukraine.
The prime minister will attend a business event on Friday before the main summit on Saturday, where he will hold bilateral talks on sustainability and economic growth. However, he will not meet Trump, who said he is staying away after accusing South Africa of racial discrimination against white Afrikaners. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hit back, telling the B20 business summit: “We are sovereign countries … we need to be treated as equals … without any bullying.”
On the way to Johannesburg, Starmer told reporters: “If you want to deal with the cost of living and make people better off with good, secure jobs, investment from G20 partners and allies is really important. Those discussions … are measured in real jobs back in the UK.”
The summit is also missing Russia’s Vladimir Putin, wanted by the International Criminal Court, and China’s Xi Jinping, who has skipped many international gatherings this year. British officials said Starmer will use the trip to rally support for Ukraine, as Trump reportedly draws up a peace plan that would force Kyiv to cede territory and disarm. The prime minister discussed the plan with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin this week, and will exchange further notes with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is finalising a budget expected to include billions in tax rises, including a freeze on income tax thresholds, as the government seeks to raise £20bn. Starmer said: “It’ll be a Labour budget with Labour values … We have to see this in the context of 16, 17 years … that’s why we have to take the decision to get this back on track. I’m optimistic about the future.”
