Despite fears in No10 over threatened tariffs and the erratic nature of Trump’s first stint in the White House, the PM said the UK-US special relationship will ‘continue to flourish for years to come’
Keir Starmer has sent his “warmest congratulations” to Donald Trump as the president-elect prepares to take the oath of office at the US Capitol.
Despite fears in No10 over threatened tariffs and the erratic nature of Trump’s first stint in the White House, the PM said the UK-US special relationship will “continue to flourish for years to come”.
The PM said in a statement: “I would like to send my warmest congratulations to President Donald Trump on his inauguration as the forty-seventh President of the United States.”
On the eve of the historic moment, Mr Starmer added: “For centuries, the relationship between our two nations has been one of collaboration, cooperation and enduring partnership. Together, we have defended the world from tyranny and worked towards our mutual security and prosperity. With President Trump’s long standing affection and historical ties to the United Kingdom, I know that depth of friendship will continue.
“The United Kingdom and United States will work together to ensure the success of both our countries and deliver for people on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Mr Starmer also said he looked forward to their next meeting, with the PM and his top team widely expected to jet to Washington DC in the coming weeks.
In 2017 ex-PM Theresa May raced to the White House to become the first foreign leader to meet Mr Trump after he defeated the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. But the diplomatic coup quickly soured as she faced intense questions flying back to London over Mr Trump’s travel ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.
In his statement Mr Starmer also highlighted their two-hour dinner at Trump tower in New York in September, alongside the Foreign Secretary David Lammy and senior aides to the president-elect. The meeting – in the midst of the US election race – was the first time Mr Starmer and Mr Trump had met face-to-face. The PM had previously called the Republican leader in the summer after an assisnation attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
He said: “Since our first meeting in September, the President and I have spoken about the need to deepen and invest in the transatlantic relationship. We will continue to build upon the unshakeable foundations of our historic alliance as we tackle together the global challenges we face and take our partnership to the next level focused on shared opportunities ahead for growth.”
It came as a senior Cabinet minister distanced the government from Sadiq Khan’s remarks about fascism on the eve of Trump’s inauguration as US President. The Mayor of London, who Mr Trump singled out for criticism during his first term in office, used an article to warn the “spectre of resurgent fascism haunts the west”.
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He pointed to the march of right-wing political parties in Europe and Mr Trump’s election victory, saying: “These are deeply worrying times, especially if you’re a member of a minority community.” He also described Elon Musk, the X owner, as a “billionaire bully” using his tech platform as a “propaganda tool to amplify lies and advance the cause of the far-right”.
But on Sunday, Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who stressed he was speaking on behalf of the Labour government, said the Labour Mayor was “wrong”. He said: “President-elect Trump won an enormous election victory in the United States, as a democracy we support democracy, and the American people elected Donald Trump. We respect that mandate.”
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Jones added: “I don’t agree with it. I speak on behalf of the government and we don’t agree with it. President-elect Trump has an important mandate in the US and we look forward to working with him in the interest of both of our economies.”
Mr Jones also insisted he was confident the president-elect won’t block Keir Starmer’s pick for US ambassador, Peter Mandeslon.
