Starmer can help shape the future of the world at Cop30. He can’t let fear of Farage stop him | Michael Jacobs

<p>The battle inside No 10 about whether the PM should attend an absolutely crucial climate summit in Brazil is ludicrous. He must assert himself – and go</p><p>No sooner has Keir Starmer reshuffled his cabinet, pronounced on Reform’s racist policies and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/30/keir-starmer-speech-labour-conference-britain">made his party conference speech</a>, than another key decision comes hurtling towards him. But this one concerns the future of the world. The issue is whether the prime minister attends the UN climate summit <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/26/keir-starmer-faces-call-to-attend-cop30-summit">in Brazil next month</a>.</p><p>You may think this would not require too much thought. Two years ago, Starmer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/01/keir-starmer-accuses-rishi-sunak-retreating-climate-leadership-cop28">attacked Rishi Sunak</a> for not going to a much less significant climate meeting and said that, were he prime minister, he would definitely attend.</p><p>Michael Jacobs is professor of political economy at the University of Sheffield and a visiting senior fellow at the thinktank ODI Global</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/02/starmer-cop30-climate-summit-brazil">Continue reading...</a>