Work was underway in Canberra to host newly election UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the Commonwealth Heads of Government in Tonga in two weeks’ time.
Sir Keir Starmer has all but dumped plans for his first visit to Australia as British prime minister as he tries to arrest his political fortunes against a backdrop of plunging approval ratings and a damaging “freebies” scandal.
Keir Starmer and Anthony Albanese chat during the Australian prime minister’s visit to London in May 2023.Since gaining power after 14 years in opposition, Labour has faced numerous headaches, including over cuts to winter fuel payments for pensioners and a row over donations. Downing Street confirmed Starmer would still join King Charles and more than 50 other Commonwealth leaders – including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – from October 21 in Samoa for CHOGM. The summit is increasingly viewed by the UK as a critical vehicle to help combat Chinese influence on its former colonies and the so-called Global South, a term describing various countries that are sometimes described as developing or underdeveloped.
The trip would have marked 10 years since the last sitting UK leader visited Australia when David Cameron addressed federal parliament ahead of the G20 summit in Brisbane.It is the second time in a year that a major ally has had to cancel an official visit because of domestic political pressures – a summit of the Quad countries scheduled for Sydney was scrapped after US President Joe Biden pulled out because of debt ceiling negotiations.
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