Sir Keir Starmer seeks urgent fix over small boat crossings during controversial Italy trip

“The return of British pragmatism” – these were the words from the prime minister’s press conference on Monday.

Sir Keir Starmer was in Rome to learn lessons from the Italians on migration, unapologetically trying to understand how Italy had achieved a 60% drop in Mediterranean small boat crossings over the past year.

But this visit was also controversial.

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Because, even amid the pomp of a red carpet welcome and warm optics, it is important to remember that this is an issue that has brought two very different prime ministers from opposite ends of the political spectrum together.

Some at home, even within Labour ranks, have voiced concerns about the new prime minister taking advice from Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government.

But for Sir Keir, the argument is that illegal migration can only be stopped with the type of European cooperation he’s trying to achieve here in Italy.

And so his defence is that he, or Britain, was being pragmatic – something the country has prided itself on in the past.

However, he was far from clear on whether the UK was now about to adapt some of those controversial policies.

There was agreement on trying to prevent people migrating in the first place, though not many would disagree with that position.

Whatever the specifics, what is notable is that for Sir Keir this has to be about more than just international cooperation.

With the worst year on record for deaths in the English Channel so far, it’s a mission that has become increasingly urgent.