Starmer to meet Sánchez to sign first bilateral post-Brexit agreement between the UK and Spain
Nine days after leaving Lanzarote, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will today fly to London to meet British PM Keir Starmer for the signing of the first bilateral post-Brexit agreement between the two countries.
The meeting will focus on the political, commercial, and economic relationship between the two countries, and the successful agreement on the issue of Gibraltar that was reached in June is likely to mean that relations will be cordial.
The UK is the most important market for Spain outside the EU and Spanish companies have retained a strong presence in the UK in the post-Brexit years. Spanish investment in the UK is up, and accounted for almost €80 billion in 2022.
Starmer and Sánchez are two of the few left-leaning European leaders remaining, and both countries have been staunch in opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, Sánchez has been far more critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza and is also more positive on the issue of irregular immigration than his British counterpart, even though Spain receives over 60% more small boats than Britain.
After the meeting Starmer, Sánchez will attend a round table of Spanish and British companies.
