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Donald Trump has raised hopes in London that he may have a constructive relationship with the UK, telling reporters he preferred Sir Keir Starmer “quite a bit” and that he may journey to Britain on his first international journey since returning to the White Home.
Trump, who stated he would converse to the UK prime minister “within the subsequent 24 hours”, stated of Starmer: “He’s liberal, which is a bit completely different from me, however I believe he’s an excellent particular person and I believe he’s accomplished an excellent job to this point.
“I get together with him effectively. I like him quite a bit,” Trump advised the BBC.
The US president’s constructive feedback will reinforce a way in Downing Avenue that Trump is just not looking for a confrontation with Starmer, regardless of earlier tensions with the prime minister and senior members of his cupboard.
The expectation in London is that Trump is not going to oppose the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as Britain’s new ambassador to Washington; he is because of begin within the publish subsequent month.
Allies of Starmer additionally hope Trump is not going to block a contentious deal during which Britain will cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in alternate for long-term ensures over the way forward for the UK-US army base on Diego Garcia.
Trump didn’t point out the topic when he spoke to Starmer earlier than Christmas and, talking on Air Power One, he advised reporters: “It hasn’t been primary on my listing. I’ll be trustworthy with you.”
The US president advised a “gaggle” of journalists on Saturday night that he acquired on effectively with Starmer. “He’s represented his nation by way of philosophy,” Trump stated.
“I could not agree along with his philosophy, however I’ve an excellent relationship with him.” Trump met Starmer for dinner final September at Trump Tower, in what was seen by either side as a constructive encounter.
Requested the place he would possibly go for the primary worldwide journey of his second White Home time period, Trump stated: “It may very well be Saudi Arabia, it may very well be UK. Historically it may very well be UK.
“Final time I went to Saudi Arabia as a result of they agreed to purchase $450bn of American United States merchandise.”
Starmer this month advised the Monetary Instances in Kyiv that he had a “constructive” relationship with Trump, regardless of quite a few criticisms of the US president by Labour ministers up to now.
Trump railed towards the involvement of Labour staffers in Kamala Harris’s unsuccessful presidential marketing campaign, whereas tech billionaire Elon Musk — named by Trump as a “waste-buster” in his administration — has referred to as Starmer “tyrannical”.
David Lammy, UK international secretary, beforehand referred to as Trump “a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”, though Lammy stated the 2 patched up relations within the Trump Tower dinner in September.
Downing Avenue has obtained no indication from the Trump staff that the president will block Mandelson because the UK’s new ambassador, regardless of the peer’s former function as an EU commissioner and his shut hyperlinks to China. “There isn’t an issue,” stated one particular person briefed on the matter.
Beneficial
Starmer’s staff can be assured that Trump will share the view of officers within the US State Division and Pentagon that the Chagos Islands deal is nice for US safety, although it has been criticised by US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
Trump’s constructive feedback about Starmer distinction with these he has made since his inauguration in regards to the EU and Canada, each of which the president has instructed may very well be hit by punitive tariffs.
Jonathan Reynolds, UK commerce secretary, has argued that Britain shouldn’t be hit by tariffs, on condition that commerce between the UK and US is especially services-based and is broadly balanced.
