Keir Starmer defends his 'jet setting' away from Britain as PM echoes Donald Trump by pushing migration and the economy as his 'key priorities'
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Sir Keir Starmer has defended the amount of time he spends away from Britain as he was quizzed about his 'jet setting' since becoming Prime Minister.
The Labour premier today travelled to the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, after spending the day in Paris to mark Armistice Day with France's Emmanuel Macron.
It followed his recent foreign trips to Dublin, Rome, Washington DC, Berlin, Brussels, New York, Samoa and Budapest.
Sir Keir is also expected to attend the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro next week.
It means he will have spent 22 out of the 77 days from 1 September to next Wednesday out of the country.
But the PM stressed the importance of having face-to-face discussions with fellow world leaders.
He also echoed US president-elect Donald Trump - who last week secured an historic return to the White House - by pointing to migration and the economy as his 'key priorities'.
Sir Keir Starmer travelled to the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, after spending the day in Paris to mark Armistice Day with French President Emmanuel Macron
The Prime Minister last month attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa
Sir Keir pictured with Mr Macron, US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on 18 October
The PM previously met with Mr Biden at the White House on September 13
Sir Keir shared a laugh with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni during a trip to Rome on 16 September
Speaking to reporters, Sir Keir brushed off suggestions he was 'jet setting' too much as PM.
'The question is what am I spending my time doing not where I am,' he said. 'I’ve been really clear that economic growth and border security are hugely important.
'We want to take down the gangs that are running the vile trade of people smuggling. And we’ve got to talk to our international partners at every level.
'I’m pushing law enforcement very hard. Very, very hard domestically; and urging them to work even more closely with our partners because in the end that’s the only way we are going to take these down.
'My inkling is that you have to have those conversations at the highest level to make sure we can bare down on this vile trade.
'That’s why for me, where I am physically is less important than what I’m concentrating on.
'But if I want to have an effective discussion with the leaders of Germany Spain France about taking down the gangs then I will make it my business to do whatever I can to have those discussions.
'There’s been too much rhetoric in my view and not enough bearing down and results.
'I find the most effective way to have discussion about bearing down on the gangs is to have it on the leader-to-leader level, and that’s what I’ve been doing.'
The PM also insisted he would remain focused on domestic issues, such as the Channel migrant crisis, while thousands of miles away from Westminster at a climate conference.
He added: 'The two key priorities for me on all of these engagements with our partners is our economy and economic growth, and border control and border security. They're the two dominant themes.
Sir Keir continued: 'So for me, my focus is on what are the priorities of the British people, and how do I make sure that I'm carrying out those obligations.
'In order to smash the gangs, we've got to be talking to our international partners otherwise, it's rhetoric, and I'm interested in results.'
