Unlikely Allies: How the Starmer-Trump Dynamic Could Shape a New Era of US-UK Relations

Adam Boulton: UK-US Alliance? It's Not Romantic, But It Could Enhance World Peace

At first look, the pairing of the new Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Donald J. Trump might seem odd. Yet, their leadership could align better than anticipated.

Sky News contributor @adamboultonTABB

Sunday, July 21, 2024, 7:

The term "special relationship" refers to the close ties between the UK and the US, which are reflected in the high degree of collaboration between their respective governments and exemplified by the interactions between the current presidents and prime ministers.

Since 1946, the electorate has paired some unlikely duos, a trend that traces back to a speech in Fulton, Missouri where the former Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, famously introduced the term into diplomatic language.

Initially, it might seem quite unlikely, but the partnership between the newly elected Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Donald J. Trump, who appears poised for a re-election to the White House this November, is indeed an interesting one.

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

Unfazed, the UK is already showing signs of engagement. It seems the two administrations might align more seamlessly than anticipated.

Despite his controversial remark that the UK could become the first 'Islamist state' with a nuclear arsenal, 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 will add complexity to the other significant relationship that Britain's new administration is attempting to revive with the European Union. This topic warrants further exploration in a different context.

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Many diplomats are uncomfortable with the phrase "special relationship." They argue that the interactions between the US and the UK are fundamentally based on exchanges of mutual benefit.

Each nation is engaging with the other based primarily on their own interests and benefits. Emotional considerations hold little value in practical terms.

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

Historically, several U.S. leaders have embraced an isolationist approach, prioritizing national interests above international engagement, similar to the policies of Trump and Vance. However, in the interest of national security, these presidents eventually chose to take significant action by joining forces with the UK in both World War I and World War

Following World War II, the United States, with support from the United Kingdom, took a dominant role in establishing a new global framework, which included the creation of 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 presenting their case regarding Ukraine to President Trump's administration, though they've achieved minimal progress so far.

Trump has withdrawn his previously stated admiration for autocratic leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping.

Should Trump and Vance assume office, it is anticipated that they would encourage allies to increase their defense spending. The UK, having already met U.S. expectations in this area, stands in favorable regard.

Trump and Vance both possess a degree of vanity, and once in positions of power, they are unlikely to relinquish America's dominant position in the global hierarchy of international affairs.

The United States and the United Kingdom have mastered maintaining a strong partnership without being overly dependent on one another. During the 1950s, they collaborated in the Korean War under the umbrella of the United Nations forces.

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

Macmillan adopted a condescending stance in the relationship, likening the British to the Greeks and the Americans to the Romans. His proposals for nuclear weapons were rejected by John F. Kennedy, though the Polaris system provided by the US continued to be the UK's main deterrent.

Exploring Relationships Between Leaders: A Retrospective Analysis

In the realm of international diplomacy, the political leanings of national leaders often play a minimal role. Conservatives on the right tend to share a general alignment with the Republican Party, while on the left, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats typically align with the Democratic Party in the United States.

This has minimal impact on the relationships between leaders.

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

They were in agreement on economic strategies, yet in 1982, the Reagan Administration nearly supported Argentina in the Falklands War due to its "America First" principles.

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

She advised George Bush senior, her successor, to remain steadfast after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, which precipitated the first Gulf War. She felt profoundly unsettled when the new president initially extended a hand of friendship to Germany.

Prime Minister John Major found it challenging to establish a cordial relationship with Bill Clinton, who knew that the Conservative Party headquarters had attempted to assist the Republicans by using underhanded tactics during the election campaign.

Clinton and Blair forged a strong friendship and conceived the concept of the "third way" in politics, a path that diverged from traditional left or right ideologies.

Blair followed Clinton's recommendation to closely align with Bush Jr. upon his succession. Blair later admitted that he found the Republican president more manageable than his Democratic predecessor, Clinton.

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

Colleagues David Cameron and Barack Obama had a good relationship. With Cameron's support, Obama cautioned that the UK would end up "at the back of the line" for trade agreements if it chose Brexit. Despite his warning turning out to be accurate, it initially had the opposite effect.

The United States regarded the United Kingdom as a crucial link over the Atlantic to Europe. Donald Trump was almost the sole American political figure to support Brexit.

Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss each made efforts to gain favor with him, with Johnson and Truss still actively doing so. President Trump warmly embraced the grandeur of an early state visit but reciprocated with no favors.

The relationship with the administration under President Biden has been polite yet somewhat remote. The 46th president has opted to highlight his Irish roots rather than his English ancestry.

During the 80th commemoration of D-Day, Rishi Sunak seemed to show minimal engagement with international matters. This is a notable oversight, considering that many ex-prime ministers have expressed that dealing with foreign affairs unexpectedly consumed a major portion of their tenure at Number 10.

Starmer's group was thoroughly ready to assume leadership. Through the assistance of Karen Pierce, the British Ambassador in Washington DC, he established two significant connections.

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Shortly after taking office, he attended a meeting at the Oval Office where Biden remarked that the UK serves as a crucial link between the US and Europe.

The circumstance where Starmer was the sole international leader to successfully contact Trump following the assassination attempt could prove to be enduringly important.

Starmer's motto, "country first, party second," subtly reminds one of "America First." Labour has regained the support of Red Wall constituents and has committed to avoiding reentry into the EU or the single market.

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Vance's rise from deep rural poverty simplifies the process for supporters of Trump and Starmer to unite over common socioeconomic perspectives. Trump's image as an outsider is consistently undermined by the lifelong access he's had to considerable wealth.

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 histories of addiction in our families. We have both authored books on this topic. We've discussed it. And we are both of the Christian faith."

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Starmer, though an atheist, takes pride in his modest upbringing and is dedicated to serving the "working people".

His administration prides itself on having the lowest number of members who attended private schools. Among them are figures like Lammy and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who, along with Vance, were raised in challenging and underprivileged environments.

Vance, Starmer, Lammy, and Rayner are all notably practical politicians who have significantly adjusted their political positions over time to achieve their current status.

This unlikely alliance between "Change" Labour and MAGA America may not be founded on mutual affection, but similar societal values could unite them. While it may not be an illustrious partnership, such a collaboration could still play a vital role in enhancing worldwide stability.

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