Shadow minister denies Sir Keir Starmer is breaking protocol with Macron meeting

SHADOW Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq has rejected claims that Keir Starmer is breaking protocol by meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron.

She told GB News: “I don’t think Keir is breaking protocol in any way. He’s being a responsible leader of the opposition.

“There will be an election no matter what in the next year and when that election happens, if we are in government, we want to be prepared to have a stronger relationship with the EU.

“They’re our closest trading partners, and we don’t want to engage in divisive rhetoric. So what he’s doing is going out there establishing a stronger relationship with President Macron.”

In a discussion during Breakfast with Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster, she continued: “He’s always meeting international world leaders. It isn’t unusual and what he’s trying to do is secure the borders of our country and making sure that we keep ourselves safe.

“If anything I think it’s not breaking protocol, it’s actually being very responsible as potentially the party that may be in government next time.”

She added: “Our Brexit deal at the moment, I’m sure everyone will agree, is quite thin and the government have botched it up.

“So I think if we can go and try and get a stronger relationship, it can only help the country when it comes to trading, in terms of security, in terms of the economy.”