A bromance won't fix Starmer's relationship with Trump

Many in the Labor Party are privately hoping that it will be Kamala Harris who wins.

October 26, 2024 6:00 a.m.(Updated 6:02 a.m.)

A taste of what life in Westminster could be like with Donald Trump returning to the White House took place Thursday evening. To a Spectator event in Westminster at the Emmanuel Centre, Nigel Farage sat outside the court as he recalled a recent conversation he shared with the Republican presidential candidate.

He spoke about British politics. You know, why is there no Conservative Party? Things like that. You know, elected conservatives, governed as liberals, Farage said, referring to a call he made to Trump shortly after an assassination attempt at his Florida golf course last month. And we talked a little about the Prime Minister, our new Prime Minister [Keir Starmer]..Um, yeah, anyway, Farage teased. The crowd laughed.

Farage then criticized Starmer's two touted choices for US Ambassador David Miliband and Peter Mandelson, saying he would choose neither, before adding that Mandelson was the less worst option of the two: he's actually pretty smart.

The implication was clear: Trump has mixed views, to say the least, when it comes to the state of Britain's main political parties. Plus, if Trump triumphs in next month's presidential election (Farage has given him a 90% chance of success), Starmer may have to get used to learning what the president thinks from Farage's appearances on the media rather than its own ambassador. Only one is likely to have Trump's personal number on speed dial.

This is one case in a series where Starmer may soon find himself looking to the Tories for lessons (and perhaps sympathy) on how to deal with The Donald. In 2016, the Conservative government came under pressure to appoint Farage as the UK's ambassador to the US, while Trump said on social media that he would do a great job! They held on, but the relationship that followed was far from easy for Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

This week, Labor aides are wondering what a Trump return would mean in practice. The official line is that Keir Starmer has been preparing for this eventuality for some time. His foreign minister, David Lammy, underwent a Damascene conversion, going from leading a protest as a backbencher against Trump's proposed state visit, to spending more than a year courting potential Republican Party allies to ensure a Labor government has guidelines. communication if he returns.

Lammy and Starmer have had some success. The foreign minister befriended JD Vance long before he was announced as Trump's vice president. Starmer then met with Trump recently while in New York in what both sides view as a positive exchange. That meant there was increased optimism that Labor had found a way to work with Trump if the Republicans came out on top.

Yet this week, concern grew when Trump's presidential campaign launched a lawsuit against Starmers' Labor Party for sending volunteers to campaign for Democrats. This is a practice that has lasted for many years with the Democrats, the sister party of the Labor Party.

Earlier this year, Labor figures reportedly readily boasted of their close relationship with the Democrats, suggesting that Kamala Harris was taking lessons from Starmer on the language around migration and his use of the phrase “breaking the gangs”. Labor MPs and their aides who were part of a delegation to the Democratic convention in August behaved as if they had received the equivalent of a golden ticket to Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

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But ministers and their collaborators discover once again that things done in opposition are perceived differently once in government. Labor aides view the Trump campaign as far-left and fear trouble if he wins. Starmer has previously clashed with Elon Musk. The billionaire and owner of X, who is a big supporter of Trump, regularly criticizes Labor online.

If the Labor government imposes more restrictions on the web giants, what will its reaction be? If left-wing Labor MPs publicly criticize Trump, will he lash out and if so, which side will Starmer take? If Trump attacks the London mayor like he did last time, will Starmer let the comments slide or defend his colleague? These are just some of the potential tensions a Labor government could have with a President Trump.

However, the bigger problem goes beyond party politics. As it turns out, Trump sometimes liked Theresa May and Boris Johnson. Yet speak to aides working in Downing Street at the time and they will tell you the relationship was anything but simple. Assistants who work for May like to tell the story of the time he spoke to her on the phone and thought the call was over. Trump then shared some thoughts about how she didn't realize they were still online.

With the United States being the most important partner in this special relationship, conservative politicians often had to grimace at various things Trump said and try to keep the show on the road, even if it meant making it seem like a game of crap. 'child. In July 2018, May's aides were shocked when Trump gave an interview the day before talks with the former prime minister, announcing Johnson as a future successor and disparaging Sadiq Khan. It may seem humiliating, says one Downing Street veteran of his dealings with Trump.

As for Johnson, it was the prime minister who probably had the best luck against Trump, but it was still tricky. It might help a little if he likes you, but he always knows what he wants to do when it comes to politics and a bromance won't change that, says a former Downing Street aide. Officials at the time recall that the biggest problem surrounding Trump was the unpredictability of his quick decisions and that often his behavior could not be predicted or anticipated.

All of the above is why many in Labor are privately hoping that Kamala Harris wins. But if that doesn't come to fruition, Starmer could do worse than turn to Johnson and even May for advice on how to deal with President Trump. If that fails, he could try something the Conservative government would not do. Farage is just one avenue of appeal.