In his first PMQs head-to-head with new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, Keir Starmer was asked whether David Lammy had apologised to the president-elect over his past remarks
PMQs: Badenoch grills Starmer on Lammy’s Trump comments
David Lammy appeared to shake off his past unvarnished views of president-elect Donald Trump as a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”.
It came as the Foreign Secretary’s comments as a backbencher were highlighted in Keir Starmer’s first PMQs head-to-head with new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.
In 2018, Mr Lammy described Mr Trump as a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath” and in the previous year also labelled him a “racist and KKK/neo-Nazi sympathiser” and suggested he would “protesting on the streets” if Mr Trump came to the UK in 2017.
Taking aim at the comments, Ms Badenoch said on Wednesday: “The PM and the Foreign Secretary met him [Trump] in September.
“Did the Foreign Secretary take that opportunity to apologise for making derogatory and scatological references, including, and I quote, ‘Trump is not only a woman-hating Neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath, he is also a profound threat to the international order’, and if he did not apologise, will the PM do so now on his behalf?”
2024 US Presidential Election LIVE: Donald Trump elected as world reacts to sweeping victory
But Mr Starmer sidestepped the comments, saying: “There will be many issues on which the leader of the Opposition and I disagree, but there will be issues that do unite this House on national security and Ukraine.”
He added: “The Foreign Secretary and I did meet President-elect Trump just a few weeks ago for dinner for about a couple of hours, and we discussed a number of issues of global significance. It was a very constructive exercise.”
A spokesman for Ms Badenoch said her attack on Mr Lammy wasn’t about offence archaeology, which her team have criticised when it applies to her old social media comments. They said: “It’s not about that. She wanted to know if the Foreign Secretary, who has said some offensive things about the President, has apologised to the President for saying those things.”
The clash came just hours after Mr Trump declared victory over the vice-president Kamala Harris in the presidential race as he scooped key victories in US swing states.
Mr Starmer opened PMQs by again congratulating the president-elect on his election victory. He told MPs: “Can I begin by congratulating President-elect Trump on his historic election victory. As the closest of allies, the UK and US will continue to work together to protect our shared values of freedom and democracy.
“And having had dinner with President-elect Trump just a few weeks ago, I look forward to working with him in the years to come.”
The PM’s spokesman later said he “would welcome” a visit by Mr Trump to Parliament – but matters relating to the House are “for the Speaker”. Asked whether the Prime Minister would be open to the President-elect addressing Parliament, his said: “I think questions for the House are for the Speaker, but clearly the Prime Minister would of course welcome a visit from President-elect Trump to the UK in the future.”
