Sir Keir’s scramble to secure a legacy, with taxpayers' billions on the line
Claims of glorious but dubious victories flood in, as "never-here-Keir’s" foreign trips continue
Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2026
While the Commons mourns the loss of Ann Widdecombe, Sir Keir rekindles his Paris bromance
Despite having only days left in office, Sir Keir Starmer left the country again on Monday (13 July) to meet President Macron and his EU colleagues in Paris. He did so as the Commons was still reeling from the announcement that counter-terrorism police are now running the investigation into the horrific murder of the 78 year-old former Home Secretary, Ann Widdecombe.
While Kemi Badenoch and Richard Tice were in the House to hear the Home Secretary’s sombre announcement, Sir Keir was overseas, making announcements of his own. He then stayed over for a gala parade on the French national holiday, Bastille Day, and for his receipt of the Légion d'honneur from President Macron.
Who is running the country while Sir Keir attempts to embellish his reputation?
And is he being "economical with the vérité" in his various claims of glory?
Facts4EU in association with The Campaign for an Independent Britain, and Stand for Our Sovereignty investigates just three examples from this week alone. This report has been shared exclusively in advance with GB News.
1. Sir Keir agrees €90bn EU-Ukraine loan agreement
Sir Keir’s first announcement followed his meeting with President Macron and some of the leaders of the so-called ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in Paris. The €90bn (£178bn) loan to the Ukraine will be from borrowed money, will incurs costs for the UK taxpayer, and makes the UK jointly liable.
“Today’s agreement is the latest demonstration of the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine.”
- Sir Keir Starmer, Paris, 13 Jul 2026
As always, the EU attaches unknown costs to this agreement
The EU Commission also announced this agreement, but in slightly different terms.
“The UK will provide a fair and proportionate contribution to the costs arising from borrowing, commensurate with the value of contracts awarded to UK companies.”
- EU Commission, Brussels, 13 July 2026
As with all agreements Sir Keir has made with the EU, the costs are undefined and open-ended. The loan for Ukraine only covers this year and next and only two-thirds (approx £52bn) of this is for defence.
UK led Europe by providing military aid in 2014 while Europe talked.... and is still talking
Since Sir Keir and President Macron assembled the 'Coalition of the Willing' in February 2025, we have not been able to find evidence of any tangible assistance it has provided to Ukraine. Conversely, the UK immediately started providing military help in 2014 when Putin first invaded the Crimea.
This year alone the UK has committed £3.75 billion in military support and remains committed to providing £3 billion annually “for as long as it takes”. This is despite the fact that the UK's own armed forces are apparently unable to be properly funded.
Back in 2022, when the mainland invasion started, Facts4EU used data from Germany’s respected Institute for the World Economy in Kiel, looking at the UK’s immediate response to Ukraine’s calls for help, compared with the responses of EU countries.
Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary
Provision of military equipment and funding thereof by European countries,
in the months after the invasion on 24 Feb 2022
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2026 - click to enlarge
[Source: IFW-Kiel, issued 18 Aug 2022.]
The EU’s major economies did not come out of this well
Any comparison of the military help given to Ukraine painted a poor picture for the vast majority of EU27 countries. This was at a time when Ukraine was desperate.
The EU’s largest economy Germany had ‘committed’ less than 30% of the UK’s total – and most of that still had not arrived. The EU’s second-largest economy France, under President Macron, had ‘committed’ less than 6% of the UK’s total. For Italy it was less than 4%.
According to the Cabinet Office, since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UK’s total support for Ukraine has now reached £25 billion, including £16 billion in military assistance and £5.6 billion in non-military support.
Sir Keir’s record on defence includes the Defence Investment Plan which was delayed for a year and which was so inadequate it caused both his Ministers to resign. He may wish to reflect that it was previous UK governments who stepped up to the plate very rapidly.
Lord (John) Redwood, former Secretary of State
commented exclusively to GB News and Facts4EU
“Once again Facts4EU have alerted us to the way Keir Starmer gives UK money away to the EU without telling us how we will pay for it or how much it might turn out to be.
“The PM 's globe trotting has cost us dear, giving away the Chagos and rights to impose our own laws and taxes and our money, in desperate attempts to buy a favourable comment from a foreign government as they take advantage of us.
“Mr Burnham has to find ways to pay for all this in what could turn out to be another punishment budget hitting a weak economy with more damaging taxes.”
2. Sir Keir’s second big announcement on Monday
On Monday, the PM was also keen to claim the credit for a trade deal for services and food products with Switzerland. Sir Keir described this on X.com (formerly Twitter) and in a No.10 statement as follows:
Just announced: a landmark trade deal with Switzerland. pic.twitter.com/N4bymPGlty
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 13, 2026
Trade Secretary Peter Kyle was more circumspect:
“This is the most significant services trade deal the UK has ever negotiated.”
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The problem with Sir Keir claiming the Swiss deal as part of his legacy
Further down the announcement, it was admitted that this is not a new trade deal. It is in fact referred to by the civil servants as “the Switzerland enhanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA)”
The original deal was in fact negotiated and signed by the then International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, in 2020, and it commenced on 01 January 2021.
The Rt Hon Liz Truss, on the signing of the trade deal in 2020
“This deal between two services powerhouses is an important part of our mission to be a global hub for services and technology trade. It supports a services relationship that is worth over £17 billion and provides much needed certainty for thousands of UK businesses and professionals.”
- The Rt Hon Liz Truss, then International Trade Secretary, 14 Dec 2020
Negotiations to enhance the deal continued under the Johnson government. Yesterday the Dept of Business and Trade forecast the enhanced deal on top of the original £17 billion will “unlock £5.2 billion a year in additional UK services exports to Switzerland in the long run.”
This would not have been possible without the main deal it was based on, agreed over five years earlier.
3. Baubles, international glory, and the cost to the public
Finally, there's no question but that our Prime Minister was in his element this week, accepting honours and accolades, and applause from those leaders of the 'Coalition of the Willing' who were present at their meeting.
Sceptics are questioning, however, if the desire to be appreciated by his friends abroad has blinded Sir Keir to the reality at home.
Allegedly the lowest-rated Prime Minister by the British public ever, it remains to be seen just how much the opprobrium might increase when the full costs of 'buying friendship' start to come out.
Readers (and Sir Keir) may also wish to know that Sir Keir's 'great honour' of the Légion d'honneur from President Macron is in fact received by more than 2,000 people every year.
Had it been the version Sir Winston Churchill received - 'la Grand-Croix' - it would be a different matter.
Observations
It is perfectly understandable that every Prime Minister hopes he will be seen as leaving a legacy. With less than a week to go before he hands the reins to Andy Burnham, however, Sir Keir's self-promotion increasingly smacks of desperation.
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[ Sources: KfW | No.10 | EU Commission | Dept for Trade and Industry | Elysée Palace ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.
Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Thurs 16 July 2026
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