Special relationship jolted by David Lammy’s insult to Trump UK | news
David Lammy has hit back at the president’s attacks on Sir Keir Starmer by insulting Donald Trump, branding him “small and petty” and accusing the US president of using personal insults to force Britain’s hand on Iran – while making it clear London has no intention of getting involved in the conflict.
The Foreign Secretary said a leader of Trump’s stature should be able to disagree with allies through diplomatic channels and argued that Washington’s conduct had “made things worse, not better” for an already unstable world.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated badly during the conflict, with the President repeatedly targeting the Prime Minister over his refusal to put British military resources behind the American campaign. Most notably, Trump dismissed Starmer as “no Winston Churchill” over the Prime Minister’s failure to allow US aircraft to use UK bases in the early days of his attacks on Iran.
Lamy’s Washington Mission
Determined to lower the temperature and impress upon Washington the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – through which a significant portion of the planet’s energy and cargo moves – Lammy travelled to the US capital last week, sitting down with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Breaking his silence on those discussions, Lammy said he had “no doubt” that American politicians appreciated the economic devastation caused by the conflict “simply through self-interest” and said Vance was acutely conscious of the domestic costs as the midterm elections approached.
Labor’s anti-Trump legacy
Before becoming Foreign Secretary, David Lammy once branded Trump a “tyrant” and a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”.
When pressed on those comments by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Lammy refused to apologise, saying he was “not looking back” but “looking forward”.
He insisted that despite his history of inflammatory comments, he would remain “kind” to Trump during his state visit to the UK and said he had “enjoyed” meeting the US president in New York with Sir Keir in September, describing Trump as “a very gracious host” with whom the group had shared “good discussions” and “laughs in places”.
Lammy said, “I will do everything I can on behalf of the British people in our national interests and that is to work with our closest ally. And I will be as kind to him as he has been to me.”
“That’s the way I was brought up in the big part of London called Tottenham and tin the great city of Peterborough—you’rekind to people who are kind to you.”
Labour’s fraught history with Trump is not limited to Lammy. In 2016, Sir Keir described Trump’s comments as “repulsive,” “offensive,” “shocking,” and “disturbing.”
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel urged the government to rebuild bridges with Washington, warning: “Keir Starmer and David Lammy will now have to work doubly hard to repair the damage caused by their immature and reckless statements.”
He added, “The Conservative Party and President Trump agree on many things – particularly the challenges our countries face in securing our borders, combating illegal immigration, and increasing defence spending.”
Dame Preeti said that “the importance of our relationship with the US cannot be overstated” and described Trump’s election as presenting “exciting new opportunities” in the years to come.
Starmer under siege
A possible diplomatic opening came on Sunday when Trump revealed that US negotiators would negotiate a fresh deal for Pakistan this week. But he also attached a stark warning to the announcement – the US would “destroy” every Iranian power station if Tehran walked away from the negotiating table. The strait remains closed.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is facing a completely different challenge. Sir Keir faces growing demands that he step down over the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Britain’s man in Washington – a saga that has consumed Westminster for weeks and shows no sign of abating.
Writing to Sir Keir on Sunday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of treating parliament with contempt and indicated she expected a full and frank answer when he stands before MPs. He urged them to “give us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”.
The matter took an even more damaging turn when it emerged that Downing Street had received a detailed briefing document on Mandelson – compiled by the Cabinet Office – long before the security vetting process was completed. That document cast doubt on his suitability for the role, raised sharp questions about his business activities in China and expressed unease about the glowing terms in which he described a private exchange with Xi Jinping – an account the executive described as “flowery”.
