Can Starmer restart the UK’s ‘special relationship’ with the US?

THE UK’s left-of-centre prime minister Keir Starmer has much in common with Democrat US President Joe Biden, whom he met last Friday (Sep 13) at the White House. With the US election approaching in November, however, Starmer’s political nightmare is that of maverick Republican Donald Trump winning against Democrat Kamala Harris.

In the postwar era, the US and UK electoral cycles were well synchronised for several decades: Republicans in power when Conservatives were, and Democrats in power alongside Labour leaders.

However, it remains very unclear whether Starmer – who will probably be in power till at least the next UK election in 2028 or 2029 – will have the political company of Harris or Trump for the next few years. This will be a hugely significant factor for UK foreign policy in the second half of this decade.