The MP for Kingston and Surbiton, Ed Davey, has welcomed plans announced at yesterday's (Monday, 19 May) UK-EU summit, after months of Liberal Democrat pressure, for better cross-Channel cooperation on defence and security.

On Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK and EU had agreed to a new Security and Defence Partnership, setting out how the UK defence industry will be able to participate in the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund.

Number 10 said: "At a time of increasing global uncertainty and volatility, this will formalise UK-EU co-operation on defence to ensure Europe's safety and security."

The Liberal Democrats called for a defence and security agreement with the EU in its July 2024 General Election manifesto and has continued to push the Government to forge closer ties with Europe on defence.

Putin's "barbaric" war in Ukraine and Trump's "bull in a china shop" approach to global security and stability has "raised the stakes" on the need to work closely with reliable European partners, says Ed Davey.   

 The Liberal Democrat leader has hailed the shift in position from the Government as a "major win", while pushing for Starmer to turn "fine words" into actions when it comes to EU-UK cooperation on defence.

 The party is also calling for the Government to see yesterday's agreement as a first step, and that Starmer must be ambitious in seeking to negotiate a new bespoke Customs Union agreement with the EU which will unlock new growth and opportunities across the UK. 

 Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston and Surbiton said: "It's a major win for our nation's security to see a closer defence relationship with the EU defence agreed today.  

"We've been hounding the Government to agree a defence pact with partners in Europe for months.

"Donald Trump's bull-in-a-china-shop approach to global security has raised the importance of the UK aligning with our allies in Europe, so I'm glad to see the Government finally listen to our common-sense plans on this.

"Now Starmer needs to make sure this summit isn't just empty rhetoric and get to work on implementing this defence pact – turning his fine words into tangible actions."