Prime Minister Keir Starmer will spend two days in Paris this week as his premiership concludes and Andy Burnham prepares to take over leadership. Starmer is set to attend a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' with allies of Ukraine and participate in Bastille Day events alongside leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron.
This visit marks Starmer's final official duties as Prime Minister. During his two-year tenure, Paris has been his most frequent foreign destination, with discussions often centering on support for Ukraine and measures to address Channel migrant crossings.
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham, the sole candidate in the Labour leadership process, is expected to officially succeed Starmer on Monday. Burnham has secured nominations from a significant majority of Labour MPs, ensuring his uncontested succession.
Before his departure, Starmer is focused on passing the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, commonly known as the Hillsborough Law, through the House of Commons. This legislation aims to establish a legally binding duty of candour for public officials and authorities, compelling transparency during investigations and inquiries. The bill is named after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, where failures in transparency by public servants, including the police, were cited following the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans. Previous delays to the bill were attributed to concerns from security services regarding its potential impact on intelligence operations. The government now believes it has addressed these concerns, ensuring that individual intelligence service employees and ex-employees will be subject to the duty of candour without compromising national security.
Separately, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is concluding her duties with a final speech to the City on Tuesday, outlining plans to support small businesses. Reeves has advised Burnham to maintain a clear focus on his objectives, emphasizing the challenges of governing and the importance of a well-defined plan for his incoming administration. She has also indicated that she will not continue as Chancellor under Burnham's leadership, acknowledging his ambition and his long-term aspirations for Downing Street.
Reports suggest that Burnham is considering proposing an expanded departmental budget in the autumn. This would potentially involve a departmental spending review alongside the autumn fiscal statement to articulate his strategic direction until the next general election.