Here's what is likely to happen next week:
1. Starmer takes the EU's message on Ukraine to Trump.
2. Trump laughs Starmer out of the room.
3. Trump goes on another wild rant against the EU, points finger at Starmer. ("Shoot the messenger!")
And maybe as a bonus...
4. Tariffs confirmed on the UK.
1. Starmer takes the EU's message on Ukraine to Trump.
2. Trump laughs Starmer out of the room.
3. Trump goes on another wild rant against the EU, points finger at Starmer. ("Shoot the messenger!")
And maybe as a bonus...
4. Tariffs confirmed on the UK.
Comments
As always, the trumpeted Brexit benefits will never appear.
Context: Starmer begged for the meeting some days ago. There's footage of Trump saying he has no idea what Starmer wanted to talk to him about.
The UK doesn’t speak for the EU in any way, shape or form.
That's a role Starmer allocated himself.
So a united front might be a bit difficult?
The UK constantly acts as if they are an equal to the EU…they are not…not even close.
5. Starmer again rules out rejoining the EU, and talks about the need to strengthen the Special Relationship
Given that Trump famously learns nothing because he is thick and lazy and relies on conversational briefings:
Starmer can update him with opinions not gleaned from Musk (& other US sycophants), covering Ukraine/Russia, tariffs etc and, because he 'likes' Starmer, he listens.
Long shot, but..
When it's entirely possible Musk may choose to attend the meeting? And it's already evident from tweets that Musk despises Starmer?
If he whispers in Trump's ear, and Trump listens, things will go very badly indeed.
Starmer takes the UK’s message on Ukraine to Trump?
The UK & EU mustn’t allow themselves to be held to ransom by Trump!
Starmer could be the person to shift his view on that topic.
Will be interesting to see if any PMQs challenge him to contradict Trump’s “Ukraine started it” and whether he will dance round, “No”
Not hopeful
We already know that they will not honour article 5. They have actively threatened a NATO member with invasion and extorted Ukraine in order to gain control of their natural wealth.
My assertion - which we can soon test - is that it will make it worse, because Starmer will be in the spotlight and will be publicly humiliated.
See his red lines for details.
But Starmer has to do it and take the humiliation if that's what comes.
And then take the message to Europe ... we tried, now we have to get on with it without the USA.
For example, access to the military precision GPS (especially important since we threw ourselves out of the EU's Galileo system that we helped design and build).
That would be things like hormone treated beef, chlorinated chicken etc.
(Context: Starmer begged for the meeting some days ago. There's footage of Trump saying he has no idea what Starmer wanted to talk to him about.)
(This write up is based on a video of a press conference. Can't find that right now, but it's out there.)
https://news.sky.com/story/trump-says-he-and-starmer-will-meet-very-soon-13309546
I don’t think any European leader would seriously agree with your idea that the way forward is total disengagement.
So call me a liar...
I think it is premature to claim Starmer is kow-towing to Trump. His comments over Ukraine suggest he isn't. We shall see.
The EU didn't call for a volunteer emissary and Starmer said "I'll do it".
Starmer had already begged Trump for a meeting way BEFORE getting together with EU leaders. In fact, before he even knew an emergency EU summit would be necessary.
(Not the exact quote because I can't find it this minute. But broad strokes that.)
(And it is sucking up when he fence-sits and both-sides while other countries merely push back. Everything is relative.)
He shouldn't be rushing over to meet him right now. Not after all the stuff Trump has just said on Ukraine.
Push the meeting back. (A meeting which Starmer requested, btw.) And say WHY. That sends a real message.
https://news.sky.com/story/trump-says-he-and-starmer-will-meet-very-soon-13309546
Everything from Trump is a power play.
The FDA isn't going to improve under Musk/Trump
Farage will tell people we need to spend the Ukraine money at home!
He’s taken everyone else for granted and only wants to appease the worst kind of idiots in the country; people who would never vote Labour anyway
Everyone seems to think that they can make it work even when others have failed…or the ambition was simply to become PM and nothing more.