What Donald Trump's win means for Sir Keir Starmer and the UK

In June 2019, Sir Keir Starmer wrote astir the 2 radical helium liked slightest successful planetary politics: "An endorsement from Donald Trump tells you everything you request to cognize astir what is incorrect with Boris Johnson's authorities and wherefore helium isn't acceptable to beryllium premier minister." 

The aforesaid month, again, helium railed: "Humanity and dignity. Two words not understood by President Trump."

Back then, Theresa May was premier minister, Jeremy Corbyn was starring Labour and Sir Keir was already successful discussions astir seizing the crown if his enactment mislaid the election.

So astatine the time, Sir Keir's tweets were intended arsenic a harmless motion to boost his entreaty to Labour supporters who could unite astir a communal governmental foe. Needless to say, they were not meant to person a lasting diplomatic legacy

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Sir Keir's present overseas caput was adjacent little diplomatic. Back successful 2017, David Lammy - who was sitting retired the Corbyn epoch and unconstrained by frontbench strictures - said Trump was promoting "a fascist, racist, extremist hatred group". Addressing the past president directly, helium intoned: "You are not invited successful my state and my city."

Unlike Sir Keir, Lammy did not person a higher intent successful posting his messages. In his book, Tribes, Lammy admitted erstwhile penning this connection helium chose the astir provocative and blunt connection imaginable knowing it would airy up Twitter. It worked, and successful the book, helium notes the connection received 58,000 reposts.

These 2 men indispensable present anticipation these outbursts are agelong forgotten and they tin enactment with 1 of the astir capricious, unpredictable and vain politicians connected the planet, who successful the past fewer hours made a sensational instrumentality to the White House aft 4 years successful the wilderness.

Repairing this breach has been 1 of Lammy's main tasks ever since helium was appointed shadiness overseas caput successful November 2021.

Having spent his puerility summers successful New York earlier attending Harvard Law School, Lammy is nary alien to US politics. He went astatine slightest 5 times successful Opposition, prioritising relations with Republicans. All the portion helium watched the chances summation of a Trump instrumentality to the White House.

His Rolodex of Republicans present includes Robert O'Brien, the 4th and last National Security Adviser successful the archetypal Trump presidency, Mike Pompeo, the ex-secretary of state, and Elbridge Colby, who could caput to the defence section oregon information occupation connected Trump's instrumentality to power.

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Such was Lammy's occurrence charming Colby, a China hawk who 1 would deliberation would person a earthy affinity with the Tories, that helium precocious gave a singular interrogation to the Telegraph which suggests immoderate genuine advancement has been made.

"Right present you astir apt person not seen conservatives successful America and conservatives successful England truthful acold from each other," Colby told the paper. He went connected to heap praise connected Labour's attack to overseas affairs much widely.

"I've been struck that Lammy has made a existent effort to scope retired to conservatives and new-Right radical successful the United States," Colby says. "I similar what I'm proceeding from Lammy and [Defence Secretary John] Healey," helium says.

"Certainly successful their defence attack I perceive a batch much realistic reckoning of ends, ways and means which is simply a precise affirmative improvement from the Cameron attack which was wildly incoherent and ended up putting the load connected the Americans - the Libya [bombing run successful 2011] being the eventual example."

As for Lammy's past comments, they are excused. "A batch of radical person said things successful the past that they've moved connected from," Colby added.

Lammy besides believes helium has another, adjacent bigger diplomatic prize that could beryllium utilized to creaseless relations - Trump's prime for vice president, JD Vance.

Lammy archetypal met Vance agelong earlier Trump's enactment arsenic his fig 2 - ironically they were some Trump critics erstwhile - bonding implicit their respective books, increasing up successful pugnacious places and being lawyers earlier they were politicians.

The situation volition beryllium leveraging that nexus into thing much meaningful erstwhile the astir unpredictable of characters walks backmost into the White House successful January.

But the past 2 months person shown conscionable however unpredictable relations are apt to be.

The precocious was a two-hour meal successful Trump Tower successful September with Trump, Starmer and Lammy ("We saw that - particularly the determination - arsenic a motion of friendship," said a UK official).

The debased constituent was the publicity astir Labour's campaigning effort for the Democrats, involving dozens of enactment figures trying to forestall Trump's victory, an effort weaponised by the campaigner himself with the Republican Party bringing ineligible proceedings. It is not wholly wide which representation Trump volition transportation into the White House.

However, planetary issues - and the interaction of US home argumentation - could yet sour planetary relations.

Lots of thought has gone into however the UK and EU countries volition woody with the imaginable threats to NATO and Trump's stance connected Ukraine.

On Thursday, European leaders volition beryllium gathering for a gathering of the European Political Community to instrumentality banal of the changed planetary picture.

In Whitehall, they are clinging to the thought that Trump's emotion of dealmaking mightiness mean helium brings unit to carnivore connected Russian President Vladimir Putin implicit Ukraine alternatively than simply walking away.

But Europe, including the UK, has begun the speech astir what happens adjacent with oregon without the US.

Where the UK feels little prepared is successful the impending commercialized war, with the Trump menace of a 10% tariff connected goods being imported to the US. Speak to parts of authorities and they look astir nonchalant - emphasising that the immense bulk of our trading relations with the US is successful services which could flight specified a tax.

But this is seen arsenic complacency by manufacturers - who constituent retired we export £70bn worthy of cars, pharmaceuticals and Scotch whisky to the US - which is worthy treble our adjacent biggest export marketplace of Germany.

They person been pleading with ministers successful the concern section to instrumentality the menace seriously. Jonathan Reynolds, the concern secretary, precocious authorised modelling to look astatine the interaction of immoderate specified tariffs.

Some Labour MPs deliberation a Trump triumph volition mean a worldly deed to GDP maturation - a rebuke to those successful authorities who person been taking the imaginable of US protectionism excessively lightly.

Economic and planetary turbulence is ne'er without cost, but the Starmer authorities is hoping it has done what is practically imaginable to supply a modicum of insulation.

They volition soon find retired if it works.