Burnham and Macron hold London talks on small boats, defence and Ukraine

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron are holding bilateral talks in London on a range of issues, including small boat crossings in the English Channel, defence and the war in Ukraine. The two leaders shook hands and posed for photographs outside 10 Downing Street on Thursday morning, alongside their wives. Burnham said it was fitting that Macron was his first overseas visitor at Downing Street since he became prime minister in July.

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Burnham described Macron as a close friend and said the meeting showed what collaboration could achieve on Ukraine, small boats and the wider UK-EU relationship. The talks are also covering the Middle East, defence and co-operation with the European Union. Macron's visit to the UK was primarily to mark the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum, and he met King Charles at the museum on Wednesday before the medieval work goes on public display next week.

The issue of Channel crossings remains central to the discussions. Burnham and Macron are considering the rise of so-called mega dinghies, which have been used to carry larger numbers of people across the Channel illegally. The Conservatives say this shows the government has failed to stop the gangs, while Burnham has framed the issue as one that requires collaboration with France.

The talks come after a summer in which the overall number of small boat arrivals in the UK fell to a seven-year low. Official figures cited in the row show that between 1 January and 1 September 2026, 16,513 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France. That was down 43% on the same period a year earlier.

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Small boat arrivals have become the most common way for people to be detected entering the UK illegally since 2020, and nearly all those who arrive by this route claim asylum. Under international law, that means they are allowed to remain in the country while their claims are considered. The meeting matters because it brings together two of the main actors in efforts to manage migration across the Channel while also addressing wider security and diplomatic issues.

France is a key partner in attempts to reduce crossings, and the talks also touch on defence co-operation and support for Ukraine at a time of continuing conflict. The discussion of UK-EU relations adds another layer to the meeting, given the broader political significance of ties between London and Paris. Macron's trip also reflects the ceremonial and political dimensions of the relationship, with the Bayeux Tapestry loan providing the immediate reason for the visit.

The tapestry is due to go on display in the British Museum next week, following the French president's meeting with King Charles. The bilateral talks at Downing Street place migration, defence and European co-operation at the centre of the agenda, but the immediate focus remains on whether the two governments can make further progress on Channel crossings. What remains unclear is whether the talks will produce any new measures on small boats, defence or UK-EU co-operation.

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