Keir Starmer Faces Challenges After Trumps Victory

Keir Starmer wasted no time in congratulating Donald Trump on his “historic” victory within the US presidential election.

The previous and soon-to-be-again president had not even reached the magic variety of 270 electoral school votes earlier than the Downing Avenue assertion arrived.

“Because the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise,” the prime minister declared.

However, Starmer and his aides shall be nicely conscious of the political jeopardy posed by one other Trump presidency.

Right here, HuffPost UK appears to be like on the potential issues for the UK authorities emanating the maverick Republican’s return to the White Home.

For a authorities which has made rising the financial system its primary mission, Trump’s re-election might have critical repercussions.

Goldman Sachs instantly downgraded their forecast for UK financial development for 2025 from 1.6% to 1.4% on the again of the US outcome, pointing to Trump’s vow to impose tariffs on items getting into America from overseas.

Such a transfer would even be extraordinarily damaging for high-value British exports like Scotch whisky.

A spokesperson for the Scotch Whisky Affiliation stated: “As prime minister Keir Starmer has stated, the UK and US stand shoulder to shoulder and are companions in enterprise.

“To deepen this partnership, the US and UK administrations ought to agree to take care of the zero-tariff commerce of whiskies throughout the Atlantic.”

Whereas the Biden administration has dominated out as US-UK complete commerce settlement, Trump has spoken prior to now of his need to get one executed – though he conspicuously failed to take action the final time he was in workplace.

The value Trump would attempt to extract in return for a deal – resembling permitting hormone-pumped American beef onto British grocery store cabinets – might end up being too excessive for Starmer to pay.

The PM’s official spokesman would solely say: “We already take pleasure in a thriving financial relationship with the US. There are hundreds of thousands of jobs supported by this relationship, which is value $1 trillion, and clearly we shall be in search of to construct on that.”

Which will nicely show to be simpler stated than executed.

Trump has made no secret prior to now of his need for America’s Nato allies to spend extra money on defence.

On this, at the very least, it seems that the brand new US administration might nicely make frequent trigger with Starmer’s authorities.

The PM’s spokesman stated: “The prime minister agrees that different Nato member states should pull their weight relating to defence spending.”

Labour stated in the course of the election marketing campaign that they might return defence spending to 2.5% of gross home product (GDP) when the monetary circumstances permit.

However defence analyst Francis Tusa warned that might not be sufficient to fulfill Trump, who might name on Nato members to spend 3% of GDP on defence.

Writing on X, he stated: “Equivocation/hesitation received’t be an possibility. If the UK is to retain any affect in Europe and Nato, holding again over defence is an epic fail – no-one will settle for the UK holding again.

“That is doubtless an entire nightmare for Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves. They’ve their plans that they want to pursue, however they face the probability that these plans should take 2nd/third place to defence/overseas relations, and that signifies that the finances follows.”

Not like the UK, Trump’s dedication to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia is lower than sure.

He has spoken prior to now of having the ability to finish the battle on day considered one of his presidency, however that will entail Kyiv having to surrender on territory seized by Russia.

Requested whether or not America’s future stance on Ukraine would have an effect on the UK’s, the PM’s spokesman stated: “We now have been clear that the UK’s assist for UK is, and at all times will stay, iron-clad.”

Nevertheless, any weakening of America’s assist for Ukraine would have extreme implications for its skill to proceed defending itself – and pose critical questions as as to whether the UK and Kyiv’s different allies stay prepared and in a position to present it with the navy and monetary assist it wants.

Trump has made no secret of his disdain for local weather change, describing it as a “hoax” and “one of many nice scams of all time”.

Throughout his first time period in workplace, he withdrew the US from the Paris local weather settlement, whereas he has additionally vowed to “drill child drill” for extra oil.

It’s honest to say, due to this fact, that his views on our warming planet are fairly far other than these of Starmer and Ed Miliband, the power and internet zero secretary.

Downing Avenue at the moment tried to place a courageous face on issues, stating that Starmer will journey to the Cop 29 summit in Baku subsequent week to clarify that the UK is able to assume “international management” on tackling local weather change.

However with out the assist of America over the subsequent 4 years, that battle will change into even tougher to win.

Regardless of each Starmer and overseas secretary David Lammy’s makes an attempt to curry favour with the president-elect – the pair held a two-hour dinner with Trump in New York in September – there stays plenty of unhealthy blood.

Through the marketing campaign, Donald Trump Jr succinctly defined his household’s views on the UK authorities when he informed ITV: “It’s absolute lunacy what I see happening within the UK proper now.

“They’re jailing individuals for misgendering somebody. Actually it’s disgusting and they need to be ashamed of themselves.”

The Trump marketing campaign additionally accused Labour of “interference” within the election as a result of occasion activists crossed the Atlantic to marketing campaign for Kamala Harris.

In his assertion welcoming Trump’s victory, Starmer stated the “UK-US particular relationship will proceed to prosper on either side of the Atlantic for years to come back”.

However the subsequent 4 might nicely turn into very rocky certainly.