Emmanuel Macron has opened the door to Britain rejoining the EU just hours after Reform UK Nigel Farage warned Keir Starmer against trusting the "arrogant anti-Brexit President".
The French President, who was involved in bitter Brexit spats with Starmer’s Tory predecessors, appeared to hint at a return to the Brussels bloc in a speech at London’s Guildhall last night.
During his speech, Macron vowed that "the European Union was stronger with the UK, and the UK was stronger with the European Union".
He added: "I'm not one to decide for your country... I would love to see our two countries working closely together for our common future... taking much more risk together, investing much more together.
"We want to write our future and not have the story be written by another continent.
"The only way to choose our future is to do it together."
Macron had already told MPs and peers that the British people’s decision to vote leave in the 2016 referendum on EU membership was “deeply regrettable”.
Speaking in the Royal Gallery on the first day of his state visit, Macron later appeared to concede that Anglo-French trade had bounced back to pre-Brexit levels.
Emmanuel Macron opens door to UK's return to EU as Nigel Farage issues Keir Starmer warning over 'arrogant anti-Brexit President'PA
He said: "Our trade has been revived and has even surpassed the pre-Brexit levels.
"The 3,500 French companies working in the UK remain the second leading foreign employers in your country, and vice versa.
"We want to do more and we will deliver additional results."
But Macron’s Brexit-bashing swipes caught the eye of Farage in this week’s fiery round of Prime Minister’s Questions.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage
PA
The Clacton MP, who was heckled by pro-Gaza MP Iqbal Mohamed, said: "The main reason that this country decided wisely voted for Brexit back in 2016, and that included millions of Labour supporters, and is because we wanted to take back control of our borders so that we, and we alone, can decide who comes and settles in our country.
"Does the PM understand that that demand today is even greater today than it was in 2016 and the country demands that you tell the French President: 'We will not accept undocumented males across the English channel and that you are not dictated to by an increasingly arrogant anti-Brexit French leader.'"
Starmer accused the Reform leader of sticking his “two fingers” up to Britain’s neighbours.
"We are fixing the mess that we inherited,” the Prime Minister said. “We are working with other countries to ensure that we take the measures necessary to stop people crossing the Channel.
Keir Starmer and Emmanuel MacronREUTERS"They are serious answers to serious problems. His proposal for 10 years, wagging the Tory dog has been to break everything and claim that's how you fix things, to stick two fingers up at your neighbours and then expect them to work with us.
"And he votes against the borders bill, which gives more powers and law enforcement to deal with security.
"The reason for that is he has no interest in fixing the problem because he wants to milk it and exploit it. That's the truth about him and his party."
Despite the Brexit bust-up, opinion polls suggest that Britons would now support rejoining the European Union.
Boris Johnson speaks to Vote Leave campaigners as he boards the Vote Leave campaign bus in Truro, CornwallPAYouGov found that 56 per cent back returning to the Brussels bloc, with just 34 per cent opposing.
However, when polls inform respondents that the EU is now making all new member states adopt the euro, stay out opens up a five to 10 per cent lead.
Meanwhile, support for Frexit - a French exit from the European Union - hit 26 per cent in YouGov's March 2023 survey.
The proportion of French voters wanting to keep ties with the Brussels bloc stood at 48 per cent, with 26 per cent remaining unsure.