Hamish Falconer Appointed UK's New EU Relations Minister Amid Summit Rescheduling

LONDON — Labour MP Hamish Falconer has been appointed as the British government’s new EU relations minister, leading negotiations with the bloc.

The new minister takes over from Nick Thomas-Symonds, a close ally of Keir Starmer, who left the government for the backbenches on Monday.

Falconer, the MP for Lincoln who was first elected in 2024, has been a junior Foreign Office minister with responsibility for the Middle East since the general election.

Unlike his predecessor, who was based solely in the Cabinet Office, Falconer’s new job will be a joint role shared between that department and the FDCO. He will attend Cabinet meetings.

One Whitehall official, granted anonymity to discuss the changes, suggested the appointment was a sign that the EU reset would be brought back within the grip of the FCDO and away from the Cabinet Office.

Falconer has a long history in the U.K.’s foreign affairs department, having worked as a diplomat before becoming an MP.

The son of Labour grandee Charlie Falconer, he takes over at a crucial time for discussions between London and Brussels.

Summit prep

Before Starmer’s resignation, a U.K.-EU summit had been scheduled for Wednesday July 22 to round off talks on issues like an agri-food agreement, youth mobility scheme, and emissions trading deal.

Starmer had also planned to use the meeting as a launchpad for a closer relationship with the bloc.

The meeting was postponed upon Starmer’s resignation and is now expected to be rescheduled. Progressing talks to the stage where a date can be set will be one of Falconer’s first tasks.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Burnham spoke on Monday and the two leaders agreed “their teams should work closely towards a UK-EU Summit later in the year” according to a No. 10 readout of the discussion.

Burnham also spoke to European Council President António Costa, where he “began by underlining the importance of creating a stronger Europe through a closer UK-EU relationship.”

Marking Thomas-Symonds' departure as a minister, EU ambassador in London Pedro Serrano hailed the Torfaen MP’s “extraordinary work to advance EU–UK relations” and said it had had “tangible” results.