It boils down to this - how do Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron make the case for what they see as the virtues of patience, nuance, subtleties and trade-offs in an era of growing impatience at the perceived repeated failures of those in high office?

Macron blames Brexit for rise in migrant crossings as Starmer hails ‘breakthrough’ small boats deal: Latest - French president says Britons ‘sold a lie’ as plan to tackle small boat Channel crossings

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speak during Ukraine security meeting at the 6th European Political Community summit on May 16, 2025 at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana,

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That will mean for every small-boat migrant who is sent back to the continent, an asylum seeker with a genuine link to the UK would be brought over. While this would initially mean no change in the number of people arriving in the UK,