Donald Trump has criticised a green energy agreement struck between the UK government and California's governor, Gavin Newsom, saying it was "inappropriate" for Britain to deal with him. In an interview with Politico, the US president used his derogatory nickname for Mr Newsom, calling him a "loser" whose state "has gone to hell".
The agreement was signed in London by the UK's energy secretary, Ed Miliband, and Mr Newsom, who is considered a likely future Democratic presidential candidate. It establishes a new framework to scale up clean energy technologies and deepen cooperation between businesses and researchers in the UK and California, the world's fourth-largest economy.
Under the memorandum of understanding, the two sides will also share expertise on protecting biodiversity and building resilience against extreme weather. Mr Miliband said: "Strong international partnerships like today's announcement with the state of California strengthen opportunities for UK businesses and secure investment for our country." The signing follows an earlier meeting between the two men in New York in September.
In London, they also discussed artificial intelligence and its implications for energy, as well as lessons from California's wildfires, a subject over which Mr Trump and Mr Newsom have clashed. A source close to Mr Miliband described the meeting as "productive". Mr Newsom was in London after attending the Munich Security Conference, where he said Mr Trump's administration was "temporary" and that California's commitment was not. He also met Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz.
Both Mr Miliband and Mr Newsom have been criticised by figures on the populist right. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said on Monday that he believed Mr Miliband was the most likely candidate to take over from Keir Starmer if the latter is forced out after a disastrous Labour performance in upcoming local elections, and that Labour would then "shift to the left".
