No meeting for Ed Miliband as Angela Merkel flies in for talks with David Cameron
Labour leader Ed Miliband was left feeling hard done by yesterday, after it emerged that he was not informed of German chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to the UK.
Merkel is set to tour the British Museum with David Cameron this morning, before the pair meet in Downing Street to discuss Europe and the G7 summit later this year.
A Labour spokesman said: “The Foreign Office usually contacts the leader of the opposition’s office in advance of visits from heads of government and state …on this occasion they failed to do so.” A government source said opposition leaders are only informed if the visiting head wants to meet them.
The Prime Minister is expected to use the visit to bring up concerns about EU migration to the UK, and to seek Merkel’s support for treaty change. Over the weekend Cameron hinted that if his party wins the next election he would look to bring forward a referendum on the UK’s membership, promised for 2017.
Merkel is understood to oppose treaty change on free movement of people however, posing a problem for the Prime Minister. Berlin has expressed a desire to see the UK remain in Europe, but warned this would not come at any cost.