Starmer Declares 'We Are Not the Britain of the Brexit Years' in Sweeping Munich Pitch for European Defence Unity

MUNICH — Ten years after the Brexit referendum tore Britain from its continental moorings, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood before Europe's defence establishment on Saturday and made the most explicit case yet for reintegrating Britain into the continent's security architecture Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup..

"We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore," Starmer told the Munich Security Conference to sustained applause — a line that would have been unthinkable from any British leader even two years ago Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup.. The speech marked a rare appearance by a British prime minister at the annual gathering, and it carried a message of unmistakable urgency: Europe must take primary responsibility for its own conventional defence, and Britain intends to be at the centre of that effort Starmer: UK must get closer to EU to build ‘European’ NATO politico.eu·SecondaryMUNICH, Germany — The U.K. must work more closely with the EU to create a more “European” NATO, Keir Starmer told allies on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. The prime minister said Britain needs to strengthen defense and security ties with Europe to reduce reliance on the U.S., telling leaders gathered in Germany: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.” “There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain..

The strategic context is stark. US President Donald Trump has strained NATO unity with his pursuit of Greenland from Denmark and persistent demands that European allies shoulder more of their own defence costs Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup.. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at the same conference, offered cooperation but made clear the price: Europeans must play a larger role in their own security Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup..

Starmer's answer was not retreat from Washington but recalibration. "I'm talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy that does not herald US withdrawal but answers the call for more burden-sharing in full," he said Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup.. The key phrase — moving from "overdependence to interdependence" — threaded a needle between sovereignty hawks in London and integration advocates in Brussels Starmer: UK must get closer to EU to build ‘European’ NATO politico.eu·SecondaryMUNICH, Germany — The U.K. must work more closely with the EU to create a more “European” NATO, Keir Starmer told allies on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. The prime minister said Britain needs to strengthen defense and security ties with Europe to reduce reliance on the U.S., telling leaders gathered in Germany: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.” “There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain..

The substance behind the rhetoric centres on defence procurement. Starmer described Europe as a "sleeping giant" whose economies dwarf Russia's more than tenfold, yet whose defence output "adds up to less than the sum of its parts" due to fragmented industrial planning . He called for new mechanisms to reduce gaps and duplication across the continent's defence industrial base Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup..

One concrete vehicle under discussion is the European Defence Mechanism, an intergovernmental instrument that would be open to all European democracies — whether inside or outside the EU — to finance joint procurement and shared assets Starmer: UK must get closer to EU to build ‘European’ NATO politico.eu·SecondaryMUNICH, Germany — The U.K. must work more closely with the EU to create a more “European” NATO, Keir Starmer told allies on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. The prime minister said Britain needs to strengthen defense and security ties with Europe to reduce reliance on the U.S., telling leaders gathered in Germany: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.” “There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain.. The concept, promoted by the Bruegel institute and former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, would sidestep the thorny question of EU membership that has bedevilled Britain's defence integration efforts Starmer: UK must get closer to EU to build ‘European’ NATO politico.eu·SecondaryMUNICH, Germany — The U.K. must work more closely with the EU to create a more “European” NATO, Keir Starmer told allies on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. The prime minister said Britain needs to strengthen defense and security ties with Europe to reduce reliance on the U.S., telling leaders gathered in Germany: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.” “There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain..

That difficulty was on vivid display last year when talks for Britain to join the EU's €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) procurement programme collapsed in November over the cost of entry . France has insisted the pricing was a European Commission calculation, not French pressure, though sceptics remain unconvinced Starmer: UK must get closer to EU to build ‘European’ NATO politico.eu·SecondaryMUNICH, Germany — The U.K. must work more closely with the EU to create a more “European” NATO, Keir Starmer told allies on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. The prime minister said Britain needs to strengthen defense and security ties with Europe to reduce reliance on the U.S., telling leaders gathered in Germany: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.” “There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain.. Both London and Paris are now keen to reopen discussions on a new version of SAFE Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup..

Bilateral partnerships have moved faster. Britain has struck deals with Norway on naval frigates and collaborates with Germany, Italy and France on long-range missile development Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup.. These piecemeal successes, however, only underscore the absence of a continental framework.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, sharing a stage with Starmer, reciprocated his overture. "Europe and the UK should come closer together — on security, on economy or on defending our democracies," she said Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup.. Her words signalled that Brussels is prepared to meet London halfway, a marked shift from the frosty post-Brexit years.

Not everyone applauded. The Conservatives' shadow foreign secretary, Priti Patel, accused Starmer of "rolling the pitch for greater EU integration and less control for the UK" Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup.. The criticism reflects an enduring political fault line: any move toward closer European ties risks reopening Brexit-era wounds in British domestic politics.

Starmer pre-empted this by taking aim at both flanks. He accused Reform UK and the Green Party of being "soft on Russia and weak on NATO" and warned that their approach would lead to "division and capitulation" . Quoting former Foreign Secretary Edward Grey on the eve of World War I — "the lamps would go out across Europe once again" — Starmer framed the defence debate in existential terms Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup..

The domestic turbulence is real. Starmer arrives in Munich after a week dominated by the Mandelson-Epstein affair, which cost him three senior aides. He insisted he had emerged "stronger than at the start" of the week Starmer: UK must get closer to EU to build ‘European’ NATO politico.eu·SecondaryMUNICH, Germany — The U.K. must work more closely with the EU to create a more “European” NATO, Keir Starmer told allies on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. The prime minister said Britain needs to strengthen defense and security ties with Europe to reduce reliance on the U.S., telling leaders gathered in Germany: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.” “There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain., though his government faces persistent claims it is not moving fast enough on defence spending. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has separately signalled that Britain needs to team up with European countries on defence expenditure, reinforcing the government's direction of travel Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conferencetheguardian.com·SecondaryThe UK prime minister said stronger security relied on greater cooperation and integration across the continent Munich Security Conference – live updates Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK is at the centre of a stronger European defence setup..

The broader question is whether rhetoric can become reality. Europe's defence procurement landscape remains a patchwork of national industries, competing standards, and protectionist instincts. The SAFE collapse showed how quickly grand ambitions can founder on practical details. And while Starmer stressed that closer EU ties do not mean weakening the US alliance or NATO — calling the Atlantic alliance "the most effective defence alliance we have ever known" Starmer: UK must get closer to EU to build ‘European’ NATO politico.eu·SecondaryMUNICH, Germany — The U.K. must work more closely with the EU to create a more “European” NATO, Keir Starmer told allies on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. The prime minister said Britain needs to strengthen defense and security ties with Europe to reduce reliance on the U.S., telling leaders gathered in Germany: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.” “There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain. — Washington's reliability as a partner is precisely what is driving the conversation.

For now, Starmer's Munich speech represents a declaration of intent rather than a binding commitment. But its significance lies in the direction it charts: a post-Brexit Britain that sees its security future as inseparable from Europe's, and a continent that may finally be ready to build the defence architecture its collective wealth has always made possible.