Starmer is fine at diplomacy – but that was the easy part

Striking a new tone on the EU was not a problem for the new prime minister, writes Andrew Grice. The second phase coming up with detailed policy - will be much more difficult

- Andrew Grice

It was mission accomplished for the first phase of Keir Starmer's "reset" of Britain's relations with the EU at the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace.

The prime minister convinced more than 40 European leaders that he is deadly serious about transforming the relationship. He won their trust by promising not to do something Labour was never going to do: withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights. But it was a neat contrast with the Conservatives' confrontational approach to the EU, and it worked. "It was an important moment," said one EU diplomat.

So, Starmer proved good at diplomatic speed dating and has already learnt that it involves seeking strange bedfellows. With France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Olaf Scholz distracted by domestic turmoil, Starmer cosied up to Giorgia Meloni, Italy's populist-nationalist prime minister, extending the relationship begun by Rishi Sunak.

The other key ally for Starmer's "reset" will be Ursula von der Leyen, who was not at Blenheim as she was securing her reelection as president of the European Commission.

Starmer told Meloni that he had had "hard conversations" with his own party on the topic of immigration. He garnered the "tough on immigration" headlines he wanted by being open to a version of Italy's scheme to process asylum claims in Albania.