Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is off to meet UK prime minister Boris Johnson, where she’s expected to sign an agreement to let more young Kiwis travel and work in the United Kingdom.
Ardern is in London, the last stop in her tour of Europe, where she has plans to meet Prince William after an appointment with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at 10 Downing St.
The meeting with Johnson will give the leaders a chance to formalise an extension to the Youth Mobility Scheme.
Currently, the scheme allows New Zealanders between 18 and 30 years old to live and work in the UK for 2 years. On the other side, it allows young British people the same age to work in New Zealand for a year.
The changes are expected to raise the age limit and increase the length of the Youth Mobility Scheme visas.
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Her stop in London dials down the pace, somewhat, from a hectic 22 hours in Brussels, Belgium, where New Zealand and the EU reached agreement for a free trade deal.
Ardern appeared on morning television in the UK, where she was asked about just how family-friendly New Zealand’s Parliament is.
Just a few days before Ardern arrived in London, the UK Parliament officially banned babies from entering Westminster. In contrast, British TV show Lorraine showed photos of Speaker Trevor Mallard holding babies in Parliament’s debating chamber while Ardern spoke about how important she sees it that Parliament is open to families and babies.
She said the playground, and welcome approach to babies even in the debating chamber, had improved the debate and ideas of New Zealad’s parlimentarians – just by having the very young nearby.
It was an absolute honour and pleasure to bring Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern from Brussels to London yesterday evening. She is just as warm and genuine as you might expect. 😊 pic.twitter.com/kDvDSg25FY
— Justin on eurostar (@EurostarJustinp) June 30, 2022
International interest in Ardern remains high.
She travelled on the Eurostar overnight to reach London, meeting many international fans – many in disbelief that the prime minister of New Zealand was simply wandering around the train carriages.
