European Political Community’s UK summit should heed Churchill’s ‘blood, toil, tears and sweat’ warning

While at Blenheim Palace, leaders will be hard-pressed to ignore the echoes of his ‘blood, toil, tears, and sweat’ speech in May 1940. Facing an existential battle on the continent, freshly-elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will have a baptism of fire at the first major international gathering he’ll host.

Due to the EPC’s origins and aims – namely to show a united front against Russia and provide an informal forum for strategic intimacy amongst leaders of 47 European countries (plus the EU) on an equal footing – the format is a high-stakes gamble in diplomacy.