Keir Starmer has two hour dinner with Donald Trump as top Labour MP says he's racist

Hours aft Donald Trump and Keir Starmer met successful New York, the elder Labour MP Emily Thornberry said she would 'call out' Trump's behaviour and said she inactive considered him racist

A apical Labour MP has branded Donald Trump racist aft Keir Starmer held a two-hour meal with the erstwhile US President.

Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said the UK indispensable "call out" Mr Trump's behaviour. She added that she would person challenged Mr Trump implicit his views if she'd shared a array with him.

The Prime Minister dined with Mr Trump successful Trump Tower - the archetypal face-to-face gathering betwixt the two. Mr Starmer said helium had hoped to conscionable with Kamala Harris during his travel to the US for the UN General Assembly, but was incapable to bash so.

Government insiders said the 2 discussed the "longstanding relationship betwixt the United Kingdom and the United States". They besides talked astir "the value of continuing to make the beardown and enduring concern betwixt our 2 countries”.

It comes amid wide concerns astir Mr Trump perchance returning to the White House aft the Presidential predetermination successful November. Ms Thornberry said the UK "shouldn't propulsion our punches" with the Republican candidate.

It comes aft Mr Trump came nether occurrence for his bonzer assertion that Haitian immigrants had been eating their neighbours' cats and dogs successful Ohio. No grounds has been produced, with the Republican yet again accused of sowing division.

Pressed by BBC Radio 4 Today big Justin Webb whether she thinks Mr Trump is racist, she said: "Yes, and if I was astatine a meal with idiosyncratic who said things similar that past I would telephone it out. But I don't ideate that the speech moved to things similar that astatine that dinner. But if and erstwhile things it occurs it needs to beryllium called out."

She said: "Donald Trump whitethorn beryllium the president of the United States successful a mates of months' clip truthful of course, it's important to person meetings with him and to physique a narration with him.

"Whatever criticisms 1 whitethorn person of Donald Trump, the constituent is that the bureau of president is 1 that needs to beryllium decently respected and the Americans are precise adjacent friends of ours." The Labour MP added: "I deliberation that this is an archetypal meeting, truthful determination needs to beryllium a definite magnitude of narration gathering and we instrumentality it from there. I bash deliberation that if determination are things the American president does oregon says that we disagree with, past we shouldn't propulsion our punches."

Mr Trump said helium thought the PM was "very nice" and helium was "very popular" successful the UK. At a rambling property league astatine Trump Tower earlier the meeting, helium said: "I really deliberation he’s precise nice. He ran a large race, helium did precise well, it’s precise aboriginal he’s precise popular."

He besides praised Nigel Farage, saying: "I deliberation Nigel is great, I’ve known him for a agelong time. He had a large predetermination too, picked up a batch of seats, much seats than helium was allowed to person actually. They acknowledged that helium won but for immoderate crushed you person a unusual strategy implicit there, you mightiness triumph them but you don’t get them. Nigel is simply a fantastic person."

Speaking to reporters up of the meeting, Mr Starmer said helium wanted to physique a narration with Mr Trump. He said: "I've said a fig of times, I privation to conscionable some candidates. We've present got the accidental to conscionable Trump, which is good. Obviously, I inactive privation to talk to Harris arsenic good but you know, the accustomed diary challenges.”