Unlikely Allies: How Starmer and Trump Could Forge a New Era for the US-UK Special Relationship

Adam Boulton: UK-US Special Bond? It's Not Perfect, But It Could Aid World Peace

At initial observation, the pairing of the freshly chosen Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Donald J. Trump seems quite odd. However, their leadership styles might align better than anticipated.

Sky News analyst @adamboultonTABB

Sunday, July 21, 2024, at 7

The term "special relationship" used to describe the UK-US bond is demonstrated through the collaboration between the two nations' governments and is exemplified by the interactions between the current presidents and prime ministers.

Since 1946, when former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill popularized the term in a famous speech in Fulton, Missouri, voters have been responsible for pairing some unexpected political alliances.

Initially, it may seem highly unusual for the incoming Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to form an alliance with Donald J. Trump, who appears poised for a second term as President of the United States come November.

Centre-left Labour members and right-wing American populists are an unlikely pairing.

Unfazed, the British faction is already showing signs of interest. It seems that the two leadership groups might align more seamlessly than anticipated.

Despite his controversial remark suggesting that the UK could become the first 'Islamist state' with nuclear capabilities, JD Vance, the recently chosen vice-presidential nominee, might actually strengthen ties rather than impede them.

Undoubtedly, and somewhat paradoxically, the reinvigorated closeness between the US and the UK is set to add complexities to another vital relationship that Britain's new leadership seeks to revive with the European Union. This topic, however, is for debate in a different forum.

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Associated Themes:

Is it a unique or transactional bond?

Many diplomats take issue with the phrase "special relationship". They argue that interactions between the US and the UK are fundamentally transactional.

Each nation is engaged primarily for their own benefit, seeking what advantages they can gain from the relationship. Emotional considerations have little practical value.

Aside from common political foundations and the use of English, the two nations frequently discover that their goals are in sync. They remain key trade allies and reciprocal investors.

Historically, prior to the eras of Trump and Vance, several U.S. presidents adopted an isolationist approach prioritizing national interests. However, in pursuit of national security, they ultimately engaged in both world wars, aligning with the United Kingdom.

Following this, the United States, with support from the United Kingdom, took the initiative to establish a new global framework, leading to the creation of institutions like the United Nations and the European Convention on Human Rights.

UK leaders, including Boris Johnson and the recently appointed Foreign Secretary David Lammy (excluding Nigel Farage MP), are persistently making their case about Ukraine to President Trump's administration, though without much success so far.

Trump has retracted his earlier expressed admiration for authoritarian leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping.

Should Trump and Vance ascend to leadership, they are likely to require allies to increase their defense spending. The UK is already viewed favorably by the US in this regard.

Trump and Vance both possess a strong sense of self-importance. While in power, they would be reluctant to relinquish America's dominant position in the global hierarchy of international affairs.

The United States and the United Kingdom have developed a relationship where they maintain closeness without excessive dependence. During the 1950s, they collaborated militarily in the Korean War under the umbrella of the United Nations.

During the 1960s, UK Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan and Harold Wilson each declined American requests to deploy British forces to combat communism in Southeast Asia.

Macmillan adopted a condescending stance in the alliance, likening the British to the Greeks and the Americans to the Romans. His proposals for nuclear weapons were rejected by John F. Kennedy, yet the American-supplied Polaris system continues to be the UK's main deterrent.

Exploring Relationships: A Retrospective on Political Alliances

Political beliefs often play a minimal role in the interactions among international leaders. Generally, the Conservative Party tends to align with the Republican Party in the United States, while the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats in the UK are more in sync with the Democratic Party in the US.

This has minimal impact on the relationships between leaders.

Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan are frequently seen as the epitome of a unique friendship.

The pair agreed on economic strategies, yet in 1982, the Reagan Administration nearly supported Argentina in the Falklands War, guided by an "America First" philosophy.

Ultimately, its backing of the UK strengthened the ties between the two leaders, even though Thatcher often found herself pressing Reagan to maintain a tough stance in the conflict that ultimately led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

She advised George Bush senior, who succeeded her, to remain resolute after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, which led to the first Gulf War. She was profoundly disturbed when the new president initially reached out to Germany, offering a gesture of friendship.

Prime Minister John Major faced challenges in forming a close rapport with Bill Clinton, who knew that the Conservative Party headquarters had attempted to assist the Republicans using underhanded tactics during the election campaign.

Clinton and Blair formed a strong friendship and together crafted the concept of the "third way" in politics, which was positioned as neither strictly left-wing nor right-wing.

However, when Bush junior assumed office, Blair followed Clinton's counsel to keep him close. Blair admitted he found the Republican president more approachable than the Democratic Clinton.

Following the events of September 11, Presidents Bush and Prime Minister Blair jointly deployed military troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Charming counterparts David Cameron and Barack Obama shared a good rapport. With Cameron’s endorsement, Obama cautioned that the UK would find itself "at the back of the queue" for trade agreements if it chose Brexit. Despite this, his involvement had the opposite effect, although his predictions have since been validated.

The United States regarded the United Kingdom as a crucial intermediary linking them with Europe across the Atlantic. Donald Trump was almost uniquely among American politicians in supporting Brexit.

Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss each vied for his favor, with Johnson and Truss persistently doing so. President Trump gladly welcomed the grandeur of an early state visit but reciprocated with no favors.

The relationship with the Biden administration has been friendly yet somewhat remote. President Biden has opted to highlight his Irish roots more than his English ancestry.

During the commemoration of the 80th D-Day Anniversary, Rishi Sunak seemed to show limited engagement with international issues. This is notable because many ex-prime ministers have revealed that a major unexpected aspect of their tenure at Downing Street was the extensive amount of time dedicated to foreign affairs.

Starmer's group was remarkably ready to assume leadership. Through the assistance of Karen Pierce, the British ambassador in Washington DC, he established connections with two key individuals.

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Shortly after taking office, he was summoned to a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, where Biden remarked that the UK serves as a "knot" linking the US and Europe.

The detail that Starmer was the sole international leader to successfully contact Trump by phone right after the assassination attempt could prove to be enduringly important.

Starmer's mantra of "country first, party second" subtly recalls "America First". Labour has reclaimed Red Wall supporters and has committed to avoiding reentry into the EU or the single market.

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Vance's ascent from deep rural poverty facilitates a common socioeconomic perspective among supporters of Trump and Starmer. Trump's image as an outsider is consistently undermined by the significant wealth he has enjoyed throughout his life.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has been developing his relationship with Vance and welcomed his appointment by stating, "we come from comparable working-class backgrounds with familial addiction problems. We've both authored books on this subject. We've discussed it. And we both practice Christianity."

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Starmer does not follow a religion, yet he takes pride in his modest upbringing and is dedicated to serving the "working class."

His administration highlights that it has the smallest number of members who attended private schools, featuring several individuals such as Lammy and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who were raised in poor and challenging environments, similar to Vance.

Vance, Starmer, Lammy, and Rayner share the trait of being highly practical politicians who have significantly altered their political positions over time to reach their current levels of success.

It's unlikely to be a romantic pairing, but common social sensibilities could draw "Change" Labour and MAGA America into a closer alignment. While this partnership may not be celebrated as an extraordinary alliance, it could still play a meaningful role in enhancing worldwide stability.

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