UK’s Starmer set to visit Trump shortly. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer meeting Donald Trump is soothing news to a panicked downing street as the parties hatch a plan to hold talks soon in Washington, the two sides confirmed Friday.
“He asked for a meeting, and I agreed,” Trump told reporters. “We’re going to have a friendly meeting. We have a lot of good things going on.
“I think he wants to come next week or the weekend.”
Starmer met Trump’s special envoy to the UK Mark Burnett in London on Thursday “during which he took a call from President Trump and discussed his forthcoming visit to the US”, Downing Street said.
UK’s Starmer set to visit Trump shortly
The Labour prime minister and then-Republican candidate met after Starmer won the UK election in July and dined for two hours in New York in September 2024. Although, their relations are not rosey they have thawed from what they once were.
Third time Starmer and Trump have spoken
This was the third time Starmer and Trump have spoken on the phone since the US presidential election win in November. For Keir Starmer meeting Donald Trump is the most urgent and important meeting in Starmers agenda.
Downing Street has been in talks with US counterparts about Starmer visiting Washington for several weeks but neither side have announced a confirmed date.
US-UK relations at their lowest
US-UK relations are hangin on by a thread, at their most fragile since the Suez canal crisis. Russia and Ukraine peace talks, and US tariffs on European products and the riviera in the middle east. which have all caught Starmer off guard and questioned whether there is a special relationship between the two countries.
Trump has already welcomed a few world leaders to the White House, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Mirror newspaper said Friday there have been discussions about King Charles III making an official visit to the US early next year. The report has not been confirmed.
Starmer’s planned trip comes as Britain faces the looming threat of US trade tariffs putting US-UK relations in jeopardy.
The UK said this week it was “engaging” with Washington on the detail of the president’s steel tariffs, in contrast to firm responses by Canada and the European Union.
Keep Britain’s closest ally onside
Seeking to keep Britain’s closest ally onside, Starmer told parliament Wednesday: “The US and the UK share a strong and balanced trading relationship, we invest hugely in each other’s economies and we will continue to work closely with President Trump to boost growth and to create jobs.”
Tariffs could make it harder for the UK government to achieve its main objective of firing up anaemic economic growth.
Keir Starmer meeting Donald Trump and fight Farage
It is no secret that Trump favours Nigel Farage and his message will be simple put Farage in power in power and the tariffs will go. Fortunately, for Starmer Trump is in his later term.
Starmer faces the unenviable task of trying to stay in Trump’s good books while simultaneously seeking deeper relations with the European Union.
The UK government has been at pains not to criticise any of Trump’s early moves, including over the war in Ukraine and Gaza.
That is despite the fact that Starmer has come under personal attack from tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, despite Keir Starmer meeting Donald Trump is on the top of the agenda.