Keir Starmer and Simon Harris: New Beginnings with Guinness Pints in Hand

New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Irish counterpart Simon Harris committed to enhancing relations with pints of Guinness, focusing on Northern Ireland and Brexit healing. Starmer's Labour Party victory raised hopes in Dublin, marking an Anglo-Irish reset. The leaders agreed on annual summits to further cooperation.

New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Irish counterpart Simon Harris sought to improve relations over pints of Guinness on Wednesday, pledging to cooperate closely on Northern Ireland and Brexit healing. Ties have been strained since the UK's 2016 Brexit vote, prompting disputes over Northern Ireland trading rules.

The recent victory of Starmer's Labour Party has given Dublin hope for a fresh start in relations, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule. Harris celebrated the Anglo-Irish reset in an Instagram post featuring a photo of the two leaders enjoying Guinness at Starmer's Chequers residence. This marked Harris as the first foreign leader Starmer hosted at Chequers.

Prior to their meeting, Starmer announced plans to abolish a controversial amnesty scheme for ex-soldiers and militants involved in Northern Ireland's past violence, a move welcomed in Dublin. The two leaders agreed to hold annual summits to rejuvenate cooperation, with Starmer scheduled to visit Dublin on September 7.

(With inputs from agencies.)