How can the Prime Minister alter the tone of the UK’s foreign policy?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has travelled to Dublin this weekend in an attempt to re-set relations with the Republic of Ireland. Under Boris Johnson, relations between the UK and the Republic of Ireland were much rockier, particularly over the issue of Brexit. The Conservative government’s passing of the Legacy Act in 2023, which prevented criminal investigations into crimes during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, further soured the relationship.

Starmer’s trip to Dublin, his second meeting with the Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Simon Harris, is intended to help improve relations, with discussions planned over the Labour governments plans to repeal the Legacy Act and on foreign policy issues such as Ukraine also.

The ability to reset relations with foreign governments is perhaps one of the most significant powers of the Prime Minister. The significance lies in the almost complete lack of checks or opposition to it. Almost over night a new Prime Minister can change relations between the UK and other countries, a considerable power.

Keir Starmer seems keen to exercise this power. He has met the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholtz, on three occasions since becoming Prime Minister in July, signing a new treaty between the two countries in August 2024. These meetings are part of Starmer’s attempts to improve relations between the UK and the EU which have nose dived since Brexit. It remains to be seen how successful Starmer’s resetting of the UK’s relations with its European neighbours will be and therefore, whilst a power that can be utilised by any incoming Prime Minister, its impact is less certain.