DONALD Trump has today told Sir Keir Starmer to slash immigration, taxes and crime if he wants to beat Nigel Farage.
The President welcomed the PM and his wife Victoria to his Scottish golf course at Turnberry this afternoon for wide-ranging talks.
Donald Trump welcomes Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria to his Scottish golf course
AFPSir Keir and Mr Trump meeting in Turnberry today[/caption]
AlamyNigel Farage speaking in Westminster today with a pledge to cut crime[/caption]
Taking questions in the ballroom, Mr Trump was asked about his relationship with both the Labour and Reform leaders.
Mr Farage – a friend of the President – is currently leading the polls and is the bookies’ favourite to win the next election.
Mr Trump said that he liked “both men” before giving his advice for electoral success.
He said: “Low taxes, keep us safe, keep us out of wars, stop the crime, and in your case there’s a big immigration component.”
In a wide-ranging press conference:
The President vowed to reduce the 50-day deadline he had given Putin for a Ukraine peace deal to 10 days
On Gaza, Mr Trump declared: “Nobody has done anything great over there. The whole place is a mess. They have to get food and safety right now”
The President called London Mayor Sadiq Khan a “nasty person” who has done a “terrible job”
He also took aim at the “nasty” windmills in Scotland and urged Sir Keir to stick with oil power
Mr Trump celebrated the UK-US trade deal, claiming: “They’ve been trying to make that deal for 12 years and Sir Keir got it done. Our relationship is unparalleled”
Earlier on the steps of his clubhouse, Mr Trump responded to media questions on his advice for the PM in tackling the small boats crisis.
Channel crossings are up 50 per cent this year – while in America illegal border breaches have plummeted.
While not familiar with the small boats crisis, Mr Trump said that he “loves this country” and controlling migration was crucial.
He said: “I love this country, as you know my mother was born in Scotland. It’s an incredible place, a beautiful place…
“Europe is a much different place than it was just five years ago, 10 years ago, and they’ve got to get their act together. If you don’t you’re not going to have Europe any more as you know and you can’t do that.
“This is a magnificent part of the world, and you cannot ruin it, you cannot let people come here illegally.
Trump lavishes praise on Victoria Starmer
LADY Victoria Starmer appeared her husband’s secret weapon yesterday as Donald Trump hailed her a “perfect wife” and “very respected”.
The US President gushed over Sir Keir’s wife, crediting her for improving his relationship with the PM.
Mr Trump has a history of paying a close attention to political spouses.
He said: “I respect (Sir Keir) much more today than I did before because I just met his wife and family.
“He’s got a perfect wife and that’s never easy to achieve.”
The PM replied: “I take no credit for that.”
Mr Trump praised Lady Starmer as a respected person all over the United States.
“I don’t know what he’s doing but she’s very respected, as respected as him.
“I don’t want to say more, I’ll get myself in trouble.But she’s a great woman and is very highly respected.”
In January the President told Sir Keir’s wife on a call that his wife is “beautiful” and “his greatest asset”.
“And what happens is there’ll be murderers, there’ll be drug dealers, there’ll be all sorts of things that other countries don’t want and they send them to you and they send them to us and you’ve got to stop them and I hear you’ve taken a very strong stand on immigration.
“And taking a strong stand on immigration is imperative.”
Sir Keir trumpeted his recently-signed returns deal with France and the 35,000 deportations done since he was elected.
However only a tiny fraction of these removals are believed to be small boat migrants.
Fielding questions this morning, Mr Trump also said that Gaza was “a mess”. He said he did not believe Benjamin Netenyahu’s claim that starvation was not happening in the strip.
Yesterday Trump said Israel would have to “make a decision” on its next steps amid kids starving as the crisis worsens.
He complained that “nobody had even acknowledged” his recent aid funding to Gaza.
And he added: “The US is going to do more aid for Gaza, but we’d like to have other countries participate.
“It’s not a US problem — it’s an international problem.”
He also issued Vladimir Putin with a brutal new ultimatum – warning he is running out of time to end the war in Ukraine.
The US President said he is ripping up the 50-day deadline he had set for peace talks.
Speaking at his Turnberry golf course ahead of a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Trump said: “We thought we had that settled numerous times and then president Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever, you have bodies lying all over the street.
“And I say that’s not the way to do it. So we’ll see what happens. I’m disappointed in president Putin, very disappointed in him so we’re going to look, and I’m going to reduce that 50 days I gave him to a lesser number because we know what’s going to happen.”
Meanwhile Mr Trump hailed a trade deal in which the EU will buy £550billion of US energy and pledge a further £450billion of investment.
The US will impose 15 per cent tariffs on the EU — lower than the 30 per cent he threatened, but still more than the ten per cent Britain pays.
Brexit has helped Britain, Labour admits
By Ryan Sabey, Deputy Political Editor
LABOUR has conceded that Brexit Britain helped secure a better trade deal with America than Brussels.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds insisted there was “absolutely no doubt” the UK was better off being separated from the European Union.
The comments come as EU products heading Stateside will be subject to a 15 per cent levy while UK goods will only face a 10 per cent surcharge.
He told Sky News: “All of the trade negotiations that we’ve got use the fact that we are not part of the customs union anymore, I’m absolutely clear of that. I think we can make the best of that.’
When asked if he would label it as a benefit to exiting the EU, he said: “I’m absolutely clear, I’ve said in Parliament many times, this is a benefit of being out of the European Union, having our independent trade policy, absolutely no doubt about that.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said back in April that Brexit had nothing to do with securing a better deal for escaping the worst of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Meanwhile, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has been blasted over her negotiations for the deal which is worse than the UK pact.
Viktor Orban, the Hungarian leader, said: “Donald Trump ate von der Leyen for breakfast.” France Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said it was a “dark day” for the submission to the US.
ends
Mr Trump said it was the “biggest deal ever made” and will be “great for cars” and agriculture.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was a “good deal” after calling the US President “a tough negotiator”.
Earlier Mr Trump — who found time for a round at Turnberry, escorted by an entourage of staff and Secret Service agents in golf buggies — blasted Europe for erecting so many wind farms.
He said: “We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They’re killing the beauty of our scenery.”
After meeting Sir Keir – who he praised last night as doing “a very good job” – the pair will travel to Aberdeen for a private dinner of politicians and business leaders.
The PM and President have struck up a strong relationship since both coming to office.
Mr Trump is due back in Britain for an historic second state visit in September.
The PM and wife Victoria are in Turnberry to see the President
ReutersPresident Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sealed a trade deal between the US and EU on Sunday[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
