Keir Starmer has been accused of mimicking Donald Trump's social media style after posting a TikTok video on the Middle East conflict set to Dire Straits' 'Money for Nothing'. The clip features Royal Navy helicopters, military jets, and a drone being destroyed, with the Prime Minister's voice stating that protecting British people is the priority.
Liberal Democrat MP Al Pinkerton criticised the choice of music as 'particularly cloth-eared' at a time when the military is 'crying out' for the government's defence spending plan. He added that Trump's 'illegal war' should not be treated as a movie, accusing Downing Street of being 'sucked into Trump's deranged confusion of blockbuster with international conflict'.
The Green Party echoed the criticism, saying the clip 'has echoes of videos coming out of the White House glorifying war'. Starmer refused to join US and Israeli strikes on Iran but authorised 'defensive' action.
When asked if the Prime Minister approved the music, his spokesperson declined to discuss internal processes, instead pointing to his commitment to defence spending. Starmer has promised to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by April 2027 and recently said the UK must 'spend more, faster'.
TikTok has become Starmer's platform of choice; his output has been called 'borderline competent'. Earlier this week, he posted clips of a call with French and German leaders. There was speculation that the Dire Straits track may have been suggested by TikTok's algorithm.
