Keir Starmer is dithering again and risks alienating powerful ally | Politics | News

As France teeters on the edge of political and economic chaos, with Germany not far behind, now is the time to stand fast with the US over the EU. But Calamity Keir Starmer is dithering.

Of course, he should embrace Trump’s America – it offers both prosperity and security – and this week as the President elect appointed a new ambassador, he called Britain “one of our most cherished and beloved allies”.

In a major foreign policy speech on Monday, the Prime Minister refused to choose between the UK’s two most important allies. But he will be forced to decide in the end, and he mustn’t allow ill judgement based on prejudice rather than practicality to lead the way.

Plagued by debt and needing to raise taxes, France’s centrist government is facing a vote of no confidence this week tabled by both the hard-left and hard-right. At the same time, Germany’s coalition government has collapsed under the pressure of huge job losses thanks to net zero decimating its industrial base.

Despite Starmer cosying up to President Macron earlier this year, the two leading nations of the EU are both looking weak and unstable.

In contrast, across the Atlantic, Trump’s election victory was decisive, carrying the popular vote and both chambers of Congress. The President elect has hit the ground running, appointing many key figures to state departments.

Elon Musk will help reduce the government’s vast expenditure on bureaucracy in order to enable tax cuts to fire up American businesses. Trump’s rejection of net zero constrictions will enable the US to become an energy superpower, exporting liquid natural gas around the world, including to the UK when our own green energy infrastructure falters.

By doing all this, the US will become richer than ever before. Already Americans are a third richer than the average Briton with higher wages and lower taxes – and this gap is set to widen under Trump.

Trump is no fan of the never-ending wars dithered over by the Democrats. Ukraine’s President Zelensky has already indicated that he will give up land to Russia in return for peace and Trump will press hard on this to end the drain on Western resources and bring peace to the region.

Having already brought bitter foes together in the Abraham Accords during his last presidency, Trump is also well positioned to end the current conflict in the Middle East by strongly backing Israel and Arabs against Iran.

In contrast, the EU has allowed the Palestinian cause to fester for decades with no resolution, even tripling its aid to Gaza after the Hamas attacks on Israel. No such mixed messaging from Trump.

By making America great again, Trump is strengthening the West against its rivals. Only wealthy countries can afford the arms and technology to keep their people safe. By intentionally making ourselves poorer through deindustrialisation and paying more for energy as a result of net zero, Britain and the EU will be less able to shoulder this burden.

If Trump does indeed levy tariffs on foreign goods coming into the US, Starmer should make the most of all connections with the new administration – especially Nigel Farage – to press ahead on a trade deal with the US that would exclude any such tariffs. He shouldn’t waste time arguing the case for the declining EU. He’ll get no thanks for it.

As a sign of good will, Starmer should probably reshuffle the lamentable David Lammy away from the Foreign Office. He should also U-turn on offloading the strategically important Chagos Islands before Trump takes office in January.

When Prime Minister Tony Blair first entered No 10 Downing Street in 1997, one of his early guests was former-PM Margaret Thatcher and her most heartfelt advice to him was to stay close to the US. It had served her and the UK very well during her close alliance with President Reagan that oversaw the end of the Cold War and an enormous boom in western capitalism.

Starmer should jettison any left-wing anti-American prejudices he still harbours and make sure he makes the most of Trump’s positivity towards the UK.

To that end, we extend a hearty welcome to the new US ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, and hope this is the beginning of a bountiful relationship between our two powers.