Andy Burnham and Emmanuel Macron meet in London to discuss Channel migration and trade
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on new Channel security measures and discussed EU industrial policy during Downing Street talks.
Bilateral talks at Downing Street
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham hosted French President Emmanuel Macron at 10 Downing Street on Thursday, 3 September 2026. The bilateral meeting marked the first time Burnham has hosted a European leader since taking office on 20 July following the departure of Keir Starmer. The talks concluded a two-day London visit by Macron, who visited the British Museum alongside King Charles III on Wednesday to mark the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry. Burnham described France as Britain's closest neighbor, framing the meeting as a step toward rebuilding post-Brexit relations across defense, trade, and border control.
The progress we have seen this summer shows what can be achieved when the UK and France work together.
Migration and Channel security
Border security formed a central topic of discussion, focusing on unauthorized small boat crossings across the English Channel. British authorities reported the lowest number of Channel arrivals since 2020, with summer arrivals falling to half the total recorded over the same period in 2025. In response to criminal networks using larger mega dinghies designed to transport hundreds of people at once, France agreed to deploy a surge team of 45 officers to beaches in Normandy and western France in the coming weeks. The deployment expands upon an agreement signed in April, adding to an existing force of approximately 1,050 French police officers and law enforcement agents dedicated to coastal interdiction. Both leaders agreed that cross-Channel enforcement should serve as a model for wider European cooperation against human trafficking networks.
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- Macron and Burnham hold bilateral talks at 10 Downing Street
Trade policy and industrial friction
Economic discussions centered on the UK government's efforts to achieve closer ties with the European Union to support domestic growth. Burnham confirmed that Britain will not seek re-entry into the EU single market, the customs union, or the bloc's freedom of movement framework. The Prime Minister confronted Macron over the European Commission's March industrial acceleration proposal, known as the Made in Europe agenda. The proposed policy establishes domestic manufacturing requirements and subsidies across public procurement in sectors such as steel, cement, aluminum, and automotive manufacturing. London has lobbied for British manufacturers to receive European status, mirroring an approach pursued by Canada, but has encountered resistance from Paris. Both leaders agreed to work together to find solutions that protect shared economic interests.
Defense production and Middle East diplomacy
On defense cooperation, Burnham and Macron discussed establishing domestic assembly lines in Ukraine for the SCALP long-range cruise missile, which uses British technology and is known in the United Kingdom as Storm Shadow. The initiative follows the Coalition of the Willing meeting held in Kyiv during the previous week. The two leaders also reviewed security in the Middle East, reaffirming an agreement to deploy a joint naval escort mission for commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end. Burnham reiterated that Israel's decision to expand the E1 settlement in the West Bank is unacceptable, stating that the project undermines the viability of a two-state solution.
