Starmer and Macron to meet at No 10 amid push for French help on small boats
It comes as the UK has been pressing for tougher action from the French authorities on the beaches along the Channel coast.
The Prime Minister hopes to strike a 'one in, one out' deal to send small boat migrants back to the continent, in exchange for the UK accepting asylum seekers in Europe who have a British link.
Alongside Downing Street talks, Sir Keir and Mr Macron are also expected to attend a reception with UK and French businesses and an event at the British Museum on Wednesday.
Their spouses, Brigitte Macron and Lady Victoria Starmer, will have tea and a tour of Downing Street together, followed by all four having lunch.
While they are being hosted by the King at Windsor, the Macrons will lay flowers on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II and see Fabuleu de Maucour, a horse the French president gave Elizabeth in 2022 to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
In a speech to MPs and peers on Tuesday, Mr Macron promised to deliver on measures to cut the number of migrants crossing the English Channel, describing the issue as a 'burden' to both countries.
He said France and the UK have a 'shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness'.
Decisions at a Franco-British summit on Thursday will respond to 'our aims for co-operation and tangible results on these major issues', Mr Macron added.
Last week, the total number of people crossing the Channel in small boats this year passed 20,000.
The total now stands at more than 21,000, a record for this point in the year.
Sir Keir and the French president are also expected to co-host a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing', the peacekeeping mission proposed to be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
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I appreciate that the incident may have taken place before Mark's time, but I recall Jim Sillars nursing a heavily bandaged cut arm and hand sustained while seeking – via a window – to enter and occupy the old Royal High School building in Edinburgh in 1981 as part of the SNP's then civil disobedience campaign. It is not only BBC Scotland that get their 'facts' wrong! Brian McGarry Inverkeithing IAIN K of Dunoon in his Long Letter (Jul 11) makes an important point about the House of Lords, and the iniquity of 'Lords Spiritual', ie, 26 English Anglican bishops, in particular, influencing decisions on Scotland within the British constitution. No Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish Anglican bishop sits in the House of Lords. Neither does any Roman Catholic bishop. 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