Starmer: UK cannot be ‘protectionist’ amid Commonwealth economic opportunities

Britain cannot spend to beryllium “protectionist” arsenic it attempts to boost growth, Sir Keir Starmer has warned, arsenic helium seeks to pat into the Commonwealth’s 19 trillion US dollar “economic heft”.

The Prime Minister is acceptable to get successful Samoa arsenic the timepiece turns midnight connected Thursday UK clip for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm).

His accomplishment comes amid a enactment astir reparations for the UK’s humanities relation successful the trans-Atlantic enslaved trade, but Sir Keir has insisted the Commonwealth needs to look forward, not look backward.

Sir Keir volition marque past arsenic the archetypal UK Prime Minister to person visited a Pacific land nation, and volition beryllium successful the institution of King Charles, the caput of the Commonwealth, during the gathering.

The combined GDP of the Commonwealth is expected to transcend 19.5 trillion US dollars successful the adjacent 3 years, we cannot fto that economical heft spell to waste

Sir Keir Starmer

The Prime Minister is expected to marque the lawsuit for beardown economical bonds crossed the association, including by creating a caller UK Trade Centre of Expertise, operating retired of the Foreign Office.

While the Commonwealth includes established UK trading partners similar Canada, Singapore, and Australia, the Prime Minister is besides eyeing up opportunities with processing state subordinate states.

This includes six of the world’s 10 fastest increasing economies: Guyana, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Uganda, India and Mozambique.

At Chogm, helium volition besides conscionable with concern leaders from the Bank of America and Lloyd’s of London, pursuing connected from the caller concern acme helium hosted successful London.

“We person a once-in-a-generation accidental to hole the foundations to crook circular the lives of mundane radical successful the UK, but we can’t bash that with a protectionist approach,” the Prime Minister said.

He added: “Under this government’s pragmatic and sensible approach, we indispensable harness the opportunities to enactment with genuine partners – similar our Commonwealth household – crossed the satellite to physique resilient economies that connection existent accidental for our people, whether that is accessing untapped markets, oregon collaborating connected grassroots innovations.

“The combined GDP of the Commonwealth is expected to transcend 19.5 trillion US dollars successful the adjacent 3 years, we cannot fto that economical heft spell to waste.”

As helium travelled to the summit, Sir Keir insisted calls for reparations for slavery were not connected his agenda.

“On the question of which mode we’re facing I deliberation we should beryllium facing forward,” helium told reporters.

“I’ve talked to a batch of our Commonwealth colleagues successful the Commonwealth household and they’re facing existent challenges connected things similar clime successful the present and now.”

Sir Keir said different nations successful the relation were much funny successful raising currency to tackle the interaction of clime change

“That’s wherever I’m going to enactment my absorption alternatively than what volition extremity up being very, precise agelong endless discussions astir reparations connected the past,” helium added.

The Prime Minister said determination was “no question” that slavery was “abhorrent”, adding: “But I deliberation from my constituent of presumption and taking the attack I’ve conscionable taken, I’d alternatively rotation up my sleeves and enactment with them connected the existent future-facing challenges than walk a batch of clip connected the past. That’s my focus.”

The governmental leaders of India and South Africa – Narendra Modi and Cyril Ramaphosa – person some snubbed Chogm to articulation the BRICS acme successful Kazan, Russia, alongside Vladimir Putin.

Sir Keir said it was “a substance for them arsenic to wherever they attend” erstwhile asked his sentiment of their determination to prioritise the BRICS gathering.