Donald Trump plays perfect guest as Keir Starmer avoids political fallout
The opulent two-day state visit was a major triumph for the embattled Keir Starmer who was desperate to avoid public disagreements over Gaza, free speech and migration.
Donald Trump refrained from controversy during an opulent two-day state visit to the United Kingdom this week in a major triumph for the embattled British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who was desperate to avoid public disagreements over Gaza, free speech and migration.
An all-out charm offensive by the royal family at Windsor Castle laid the groundwork for subsequent trade talks between the two leaders, who rubber stamped around £150bn to £200bn ($307bn to $410bn) of reciprocal tech investment aimed at keeping the western democracies ahead of China.
The US President who hailed the “relationship like no other”, avoided any harsh criticism of Sir Keir during a highly anticipated press conference at the end of the visit, even on areas of major contention including Britain’s impending move to recognise a Palestinian state.
“I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score,” Mr Trump said, adding that “it’s one of our few disagreements, actually.”
Mr Trump went on to clap Sir Keir across the back in a conciliatory fashion, saying “that’s good”, when the Prime Minister said Hamas was a “a terrorist organisation who are going to have no part in any future governance in Palestine”.
“What happened on Oct 7 was the worst attack since Holocaust. We have extended family in Israel. I understand first-hand the psychological impact that that had across Israel,” Sir Keir said.
“So I know exactly where I stand in relation to Hamas. Hamas of course don’t want a two-state solution, they don’t want peace, they don’t want a ceasefire.”
The wide ranging press conference, held before several dozen specially vetted US and British journalists and a handful of international outlets, also illustrated that Sir Keir’s strategy was to tell Mr Trump what he wanted to hear.
The two leaders had enjoyed an hour-long meeting face-to-face before meeting the media, while Mr Trump’s wife Melania, was being entertained by Queen Camilla and then Catherine the Princess of Wales back at Windsor.
Sir Keir insisted there was free speech in the UK, despite regular instances of police forces throughout the country intimidating people for “offending” someone by posting on social media.
But Sir Keir said the only exceptions he would make to free speech were pedophiles and the encouragement of suicide: “free speech, it’s one of the founding values of the United Kingdom, and we protect it jealously and fiercely and always will and we will bear down on any limits on free speech.
Addressing two of Britain’s significant political issues – the economy and uncontrolled immigration – Mr Trump urged Sir Keir to “drill, baby, drill” in order to bring down inflation and follow his lead in introducing the military to control the country’s borders.
Britain returned the first migrant under a new “one-in, one-out” deal with France on Thursday as Mr Trump told his UK counterpart that illegal immigration “destroys countries from within”.
In a later interview with Fox News, he told Sir Keir to take a “strong stand” against immigration, saying it was hurting him “badly”.
The only apparent hiccup in the visit was when Mr Trump’s helicopter was forced to divert to Luton Airport at the end of his trip “due to a minor hydraulic issue”. The aircraft landed at a “local airfield”, the White House said, before later reaching Stansted Airport around 20 minutes behind schedule.
His historic second state visit came at a disastrous time for Sir Keir who is under mounting political pressure from within his own Labour party and had only days earlier fired Peter Mandelson as Washington ambassador over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Trump moved to diffuse the issue by claiming he did not know Lord Mandelson, despite hosting him in the Oval Office in May.
During thee 47 minute press conference at Chequers, Sir Keir’s country retreat north of London, Mr Trump also revealed he was negotiating to return the Bagram air base in Afghanistan under US control, warning that the geography of the site is crucial to monitor China’s nuclear developments.
Mr Trump said he was “trying to get Bagram back” from the Taliban but did not give further details about whether the base, which used to be the US’s biggest military presence in the region, would be used by a western coalition or just America.
Australian military forces were based at Bagram from 2014 until the withdrawal of international forces in June 2021 helping to provide stability to the Afghanistan people.
But Mr Trump said on Thursday: “We gave it to them (the Taliban) for nothing. We’re trying to get it back, by the way”.
“We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. So, a lot of things are happening, but I am very disappointed in the fact that that one’s not settled’’.
Mr Trump also referred to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of letting him down in recent talks to bring about a ceasefire with Ukraine.
“He has let me down, killing many people and he’s losing more people than he is killing. He has let me down,’’ Mr Trump said.
Sir Keir said more pressure had to be applied on the Kremlin because Mr Putin was becoming more emboldened. He said the recent targeting of the British counsel building in Kyiv, the EU embassy and the incursion of drones into Poland showed increased recklessness on Putin’s part and he warned “these are not the actions of someone who wants peace’’.
Sir Keir said Britain and France had taken the lead of the coalition of the willing to step up with a European military presence.
Before the press conference, Mr Trump effusively praised his lavish British welcome and spoke about the “exquisite honour of a second official state visit” as he signed a new tech deal with his British counterpart, specifically designed to ward off China’s progress in the area.
Sir Keir Starmer also claimed it was a “great day for the special relationship” as he praised “my friend, our friend, President Trump.”
Mr Trump was enthusiastic about the top level tech entrepreneurs who had been part of his visit.
“This agreement will also help America and our British allies dominate the future of artificial intelligence,’’ Mr Trump said.
“You need the energy, you have to have the energy. That’s one thing I learned very quickly. They need a lot of electricity.”
He added that in regards to artificial intelligence the US is “leading China and the world by a lot”.
Sir Keir said around 15,000 jobs will be created in the deal: “This is a great day for the special relationship: a celebration of what has gone before, of course, but more than that, a moment to deliver investments, jobs and deals which will improve people’s lives now and light up the special relationship for years to come.”
However the celebrations were tempered somewhat because the US has insisted on imposing 25 per cent tariffs on the British steel industry, even though the two countries had announced a zero tariff policy in May this year.
Mr Trump was impressed by the welcome he had received by King Charles and the royal family.
He said: “And I was here a number of years ago, but somehow today, it looks even better, even more beautiful and even more historic. Melania and I are forever thankful to
His Majesty King Charles the Third, and Her Majesty, Queen Camilla.
“Had a fantastic evening last night, but the exquisite honour of a second official state visit, the first ever.
“It’s the first time it’s ever been done, was really was an honour such great history, and to think it’s a first, it’s always nice to have a first, but the ties between our countries are priceless, and it’s really an inheritance, beautiful inheritance.”
Mr Trump then added: “With this agreement, our cherished friendship with the United Kingdom is getting stronger and stronger.
“Again, I want to thank the Prime Minister. He worked very hard on this, in getting this deal done.”
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