Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has delivered a furious rebuttal to US President Donald Trump after the president made disparaging remarks about British troops in Afghanistan and the Chagos Islands. The confrontation marks the worst week in UK-US relations since Trump took office last year, with Starmer demanding an apology for what he called 'insulting and frankly appalling' comments.
No 10 had previously described Starmer's approach to the Trump administration as 'serious, calm, pragmatic, behind-the-scenes diplomacy', but the president's latest provocations prompted a public stand. Trump had claimed that UK troops did not pull their weight in Afghanistan and criticised Britain over the Chagos Islands deal, leading Starmer to draw what aides called a 'line in the sand'.
The prime minister's response has been welcomed by many Labour MPs who were uncomfortable with what they saw as sycophancy towards Trump. The move also comes as Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is reportedly considering a return to parliament in a byelection, potentially posing a leadership challenge from the soft left.
Internationally, Starmer's tougher line aligns with speeches from Canada's Mark Carney and France's Emmanuel Macron at Davos, who argued that middle-ranking countries must stand together. There are growing voices within Labour urging Starmer to strengthen ties with Europe to counter US unpredictability, opening up a politically perilous but potentially appealing path towards closer EU cooperation.
The rift also sharpens the political divide with Reform UK, whose leader Nigel Farage has repeatedly defended Trump. Although Farage said Trump was 'wrong' about British troops, he earlier suggested Greenland would be safer under US control. With Reform leading in the polls, Starmer's party sees an opportunity to advocate for European ties over transatlantic alignment.
