‘I will be gracious’ to Donald Trump, says Foreign Secretary

David Lammy has insisted helium volition beryllium “gracious” to Donald Trump contempt his erstwhile comments disparaging the incoming US president.

As a backbench MP successful 2018, Mr Lammy had described the then-president arsenic a “tyrant” and a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”.

Those comments, and others, person led immoderate to suggest the now-Foreign Secretary would beryllium incapable to support a bully narration with Britain’s closest state erstwhile Mr Trump is sworn successful in January.

But challenged by members of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee connected Wednesday implicit his erstwhile comments, the Foreign Secretary said helium was “not looking back” but “looking forward”.

Mr Lammy told the committee helium had “enjoyed” gathering Mr Trump successful New York successful September, on with the Prime Minister, saying helium had been “a precise gracious host” and the trio had had “good discussion” and “a laughter successful places”.

He said: “I volition bash everything imaginable connected behalf of the British radical successful narration to our nationalist interests, and that is moving with our adjacent ally. And conscionable arsenic helium has been gracious to me, I volition beryllium gracious to him.

“That was the mode I was brought up successful the large portion of London called Tottenham and the large metropolis of Peterborough – you are gracious to those who are gracious to you.”

He wants a deal. I’ve met him, he’s surely not a loser

David Lammy connected Donald Trump's committedness to Nato

He besides hailed his narration with the incoming vice-president, JD Vance, saying they had met and had talked “extensively” astir their books and their “understanding of impoverished communities”.

Later, Mr Lammy insisted that the US would comply with Nato’s communal defence agreement, contempt doubts astir Mr Trump’s committedness to the alliance.

The incoming president has antecedently suggested helium would not support “delinquent” Nato members who were spending little than 2% of GDP connected defence, portion his nominee for defence secretary, Pete Hesgeth, has said the defence of Europe is “not our problem” and called for Nato to beryllium scrapped.

But connected Wednesday, Mr Lammy told MPs helium was “really confident” that the US nether Mr Trump would conscionable its obligations nether Article 5 of the Nato treaty, saying his “pushing and cajoling of Europe” connected defence spending was successful enactment with erstwhile presidents specified arsenic Dwight Eisenhower, John F Kennedy and Barack Obama.

He said: “The rhetoric is pugnacious and exacting nether Donald Trump, and the planetary assemblage tin look backmost and tin spot that.

“He wants a deal. I’ve met him, he’s surely not a loser. I’m rather definite that Nato arsenic we recognize it, the champion confederation of countries the modern satellite has seen, volition proceed and spell from spot to strength.”