Tony Blair is said to have set up the meeting between Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, as part of a covert plan to rejoin in the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former Prime Minister planned the meeting to coincide with the announcement of EU ‘associate membership’, a scheme which France is said to be keen for the UK to be part of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An insider said Blair is “convinced that Brexit is now a vote-winner”, pushing Starmer to open the door to its reversal in order to win the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starmer met with Macron in Paris yesterday. The duo are understood to have spoken for 45 minutes without aides present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking about the meeting, the Labour leader said: “It was my first opportunity to say how much I value the relationship between our two countries, particularly when it comes to prosperity and security, and how, if we are privileged enough to be elected into power, I intend to build on that relationship and make it even stronger than it is today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added: “We had a very political discussion covering a lot of issues to do with global politics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The meeting took place yesterday, the same day as the EU’s plans for\u00a0associate membership of the bloc\u00a0were revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The plans are said to be aimed at a Labour Government and would not require the UK to undertake another EU referendum, as it would stop short of full membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The EU hopes to enact the plans by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A European diplomatic source said: “It is carefully balanced politically to be a potential place for Britain without the need to ever rejoin the EU or to hold a referendum.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the plans for associate membership do not go as far as a customs union, they do include legal integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the proposals, the UK would have speaking rights among the councils of ministers discussing the bloc’s legislation, but it would not have a vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking about Blair’s role in Starmer’s trip to France, the source told the Daily Mail: “‘Blair is trying to convince Starmer that the more he edges towards saying Brexit is a disaster, the better Labour will do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“He believes that reversing Brexit can be a vote-winner and he is pushing that message very hard.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This week,\u00a0Starmer revealed that he plans to renegotiate the UK’s deal with the EU in 2025, in order to strike up a new relationship with the bloc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Labour Leader said he wants a closer trading relationship with the bloc, dismissing the 2020 deal struck by Boris Johnson as “not a good deal”.
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Tony Blair is said to have set up the meeting between Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, as part of a covert plan to rejoin in the EU. The former … <\/p>\n