Boris Johnson, J-Lo and the world’s angriest piece of theatre: the weird ways UK TV covered the US election
GuardianOCT 25 2024
UK PM Congratulates Trump After Labour Supported Harris Campaign
Above: Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, pictured on Nov. 6, 2024. Image copyright: Frank Augstein/Contributor/WPA Pool via Getty Images
The Facts
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered "hearty congratulations" to Pres.-elect Donald Trump on his "historic victory," a spokeswoman for Downing Street said on Wednesday.
According to an official readout of the call, Starmer said he looked forward to working with Trump and that both leaders agreed "the relationship between the UK and US was incredibly strong and would continue to thrive for many years to come."
The comes after reports that members and volunteers from Starmer's Labour Party, including his chief of staff and director of communications, met with officials from Vice Pres. Kamala Harris' election campaign in the US. Trump labeled the meeting "blatant foreign interference," though Labour has denied that either Morgan McSweeney or Matthew Doyle assisted the Harris campaign.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The UK enjoys a historic relationship with the US — standing together on everything from defense and security to growth and prosperity. There's no doubt that the relationship will continue to prosper under the new leadership of Donald Trump.
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite public statements to the contrary, it looks like Starmer has already burned his bridges with Trump. This is likely to leave the UK isolated on a number of issues and could have profound consequences for the country.
Metaculus Prediction
Public Figures
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