Sir Keir Starmer has had “very good early engagement” with Donald Trump, Downing Street has said, after the leaders spoke for the first time since the US president’s inauguration.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman did not provide any updates on when Sir Keir might travel to Washington to meet the US president, or whether President Trump may come to the UK, but said Sir Keir is looking forward to building on the “deep relationship”.
There was a 45-minute call between the two men on Sunday, which No10 said covered trade and the economy, as well as the Middle East.
A number of potentially contentious issues including the Chagos Islands deal and Trump’s stated desire for Nato allies to hit 5% GDP spending on defence were not discussed.
“It was a very warm call, and it was very constructive,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Monday.
Sir Keir has had “very good early engagement” with President Trump, both before the inauguration and since, the spokesman added.
“There’s a wide range of areas that we look forward to working on with President Trump and his entire team to build on our already very strong and deep relationship, whether it’s on trade, investment, whether it’s on security and defence, and the Prime Minister looks forward to meeting him soon.”
“Diplomatic work to do”
On Monday, former foreign secretary James Cleverly said there is “diplomatic work to do” on the relationship between the UK and the US.
He said it is “good that Keir Starmer had an extended conversation with President Trump” but suggested there are “bridges that need to be rebuilt” after criticism of the US president from Labour figures including foreign secretary David Lammy.
Cleverly told Times Radio on Monday: “There is definitely work to do, diplomatic work to do because, for a whole range of reasons, including defence and trade which are the headlines, we need to make sure our relationship with America and indeed President Trump works.
“So this is probably an important first step. There is going to be an awful lot of work to be done by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to rebuild what has been, I think, a foolish and unnecessary set of criticisms of the president of one of our closest allies in the world.”
Chagos deal friction
Allies of Trump, including his pick as secretary of state, Marco Rubio, have voiced concerns about the Chagos deal and if this could allow Chinese influence in the region to increase.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman reiterated the government’s position that it was “right that the new administration got time to consider the deal” which is in the process of being finalised.
The UK plans to cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius, leasing back the strategically important Diego Garcia base used by the US for 99 years at a reported annual cost of around £90m.
Cleverly was in charge at the FCDO when negotiations on the Chagos Islands first began in 2022. He claimed the Labour government has “put themselves in a very weak negotiating position” over the deal.
The Conservative MP told Times Radio: “Negotiating is one thing, but I always made sure that certain red lines were in place and if the negotiations crossed those red lines then I wouldn’t have accepted a deal.
“And, indeed, over a year’s worth of talks I did not get to a position that I was comfortable with, which is why I never signed off a deal.”
He later added: “It’s clear that they have put themselves in a very weak negotiating position, which is why Mauritius keeps coming back for more money and more concessions.”
Press Association – Caitlin Doherty