Starmer on his first call with Donald Trump in eight days, following the “no Winston Churchill” spectacle:
“…The discussion with our US counterparts is happening at all levels, all of the time, every single day. That’s the nature of the relationship.”
Asked about his refusal to allow the US to use British bases to strike Iran, before U-turning to permit “defensive” action, Starmer said:
“Those decisions about what’s in Britain’s best interests are decisions for the Prime Minister of Britain. That’s how I’ve approached all of the questions, and all the decisions that I’ve had to make. It is really important. That’s a fundamental principle, that it is the UK Prime Minister… that the UK Prime Minister would make the decisions, using our values, our principles, in the best interests of our country. And it’s really important that we, are very, very clear about that principle.”
The ‘Trump Whisperer’ era has withered and died…
Starmer loyalist and Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News that Starmer should not be replaced:
“We saw what the Tories did. They were in power for 14 years, and after 2016, I think we had nine education secretaries, seven chancellors, and five Prime Ministers. Doomscrolling through Prime Ministers doesn’t resolve the problem.”