Attorney General Richard Hermer continues to face backlash after reports emerged that he toughened up government legal advice on the Chagos Islands, giving a “clearer steer” that the UK risked breaching international law— pushing best mate Keir Starmer to push ahead with a surrender deal. Meanwhile, Trump’s team is so far unimpressed by the deal while Republican senators tell Starmer to “put the bong down.” Turns out Hermer has held a dim view of the special relationship for quite some time…
In a November 2020 podcast hosted by Hermer’s leftie Matrix Chambers, he welcomed Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy for a chinwag about the US election and global affairs. Kicking things off Hermer triumphantly declared:
“When it comes to the Trump versus Biden election, we are anything but neutral. The rule of law doesn’t thrive on chaos and hatred. It flourishes on appreciation of the dignity of every human being. And thus it is a huge relief to start this podcast by saying out loud, Biden won. And you know what? It’s even more pleasure to say out loud, Trump lost. Now we don’t want to just dwell on the glories of the last few days.”
After Nandy finished pushing for the UK to have “constructive engagement with China”, Hermer openly questioned Britain’s influence across the globe, suggesting a Labour government—and a potential Foreign Secretary Nandy (commiserations, Lisa)—should take a more “realistic” view of the special relationship since we’ve left the bloc:
“What about the UK’s role in creating this new world? Do we need to be slightly more realistic than we have been in the past about our influence? If at the next election you become Foreign Secretary, we’re going to be years out of the EU. We’re unlikely to be enjoying a special relationship with the US. Many people say we haven’t had one anyway since Yalta.”
Meanwhile just two weeks ago Downing Street’s official line is that the special relationship is “incredibly strong” and will “continue to thrive”. Though the Attorney General and Starmer’s best mate has already decided the “special relationship” was over years ago…
Speaking at Davos, Zelensky said:
“Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today. Action that defines what kind of future we will have. That’s the problem.”