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Despite demands from the president-elect’s supporters to choose between Washington and Brussels, Sir Keir Starmer issued a warning to Donald Trump on Monday night that he would not support America against the EU.
The Prime Minister stated in a significant foreign policy speech that it was “plain wrong” to imply that Britain needed to get closer to the US or Europe as a result of Mr. Trump’s return to the White House.
As an alternative, he pledged to “rebuild our ties with Europe too” and “invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends.”
The Prime Minister made overtures to Mr. Trump in the speech, emphasizing the importance of getting Ukraine ready for peace talks and urging Europe to increase defense spending.
There has been discussion about whether Sir Keir should now support America or Europe in the wake of Mr. Trump’s overwhelming win in last month’s US presidential election.
Stephen Moore, the Republican’s senior economic adviser, has joined the fray, stating that the UK must reject the EU’s “socialist model.”
Within his own party, Sir Keir has been under pressure to turn away from Mr. Trump and mend fences with the EU. But the prime minister rejected the “either/or” option in his speech to the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London on Monday night.
“The idea that we must choose between our allies – that somehow we’re with America or Europe – is plain wrong against the backdrop of these dangerous times,” he said. I completely reject it. There was no choice between allies for [Clement] Attlee. Churchill [Winston] made no decision. We must cooperate with both in the benefit of the country.
For more than a century, our security and prosperity have been based on our connection with the United States. We will always be focused on it. There’s a reason we call it the special relationship. It is inscribed in the ink of mutual sacrifice rather than in some dusty, dry treaty.
Regarding Europe, he continued, “And we will also rebuild our ties with Europe.” I regret to inform you that the dreadful legacy this government inherited in a number of areas, including the NHS’s condition and the country’s finances, goes beyond our borders.
They ignored certain allies, rejected others, ignored the world, and took important ties for granted. Too frequently, our image as a reliable, stable, and trustworthy partner was supplanted by one of chaos driven by transient political issues, swinging from extreme to extreme.
