AT 35,000 feet above the North Atlantic Ocean last night, Sir Keir Starmer put on a brave face for a leader facing the most important 36 hours of his premiership so far.
The stakes could not be higher for his White House summit with Donald Trump today after two weeks that have rocked the West.
PASir Keir Starmer put on a brave face for a leader facing the most important 36 hours of his premiership so far[/caption]
With The Don upending Ukraine and Nato and sending shockwaves across Europe, Sir Keir wants to be a “bridge” between Trump’s America First agenda and a reeling EU.
The problem with bridges though is they can often get walked all over.
Downing Street knows this is a meeting that risks years of pain if it goes wrong with the most temperamental of Presidents.
Just ask Theresa May about the chaos an irked Trump can cause.
But last night, casual Keir was trying to do his best impression of a man not jetting into the lion’s den, while desperately trying to avoid putting a foot wrong.
I’ve never known a PM do more Beyonce-style costume changes in one day, but fresh from PMQs he was dressed down in Adidas trainers and an expensive black shirt that looked suspiciously like it could have been paid for by Lord Alli.
Nodding dog
He even managed a jokey dig at Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who he has found he has a sweet tooth for winding up.
But it was clear this was a very nervous man.
During a scatter-gunning from Fleet Street’s finest, the PM stuck to his script that he was “not going to get ahead of the talks” every time he was asked even the simplest of questions.
He seems determined not to let a stray word upset Trump ahead of their meeting, but I do wonder whether the strongman President might respect a bit of jousting.
If the PM tries the nodding dog act in the Oval Office this afternoon, I fear Donald Trump is going to eat him alive.
After France’s pint-sized smoothie chops Emmanuel Macron stole Sir Keir’s thunder by beating the PM to the White House this week, the pressure has been constantly ratcheting up for Sir Keir to take a similar firm but fair charm offensive with the famously thin-skinned US Commander in Chief.
But while Macron is in the twilight of his presidency, Sir Keir is hoping to outlive Trump, whose term ends before the UK is due to go to the polls again.
Get it wrong and it is going to be a very long four years for the Labour boss.
So what are the bear traps he risks falling into today?
Here, we take a look at six of them . . .
UKRAINE
AFPThe issue of Ukraine is one of the hardest tightropes for the PM to walk[/caption]
TRUMP clearly loathes Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and has made that clear with his diatribes over the last few days.
But with Britain being Ukraine’s strongest backer – while also the needy half of the so-called special relationship with the US – this is one of the hardest tightropes for the PM to walk.
His offer of British peacekeepers to man the Ukraine border has been well received, but Starmer knows that without Uncle Sam’s protection those troops he “did not take the decision lightly” to pledge could be lambs to the slaughter if Putin fancied it.
Will he convince stubborn Trump though?
DEFENCE
Sir Keir has called for Europe to step up to President Trump’s demands to increase defence spendingPA
SIR Keir got his punches in early after calling for Europe to step up to President Trump’s demands to increase defence spending.
There was no coincidence to the timing of his announcement on Tuesday that the UK will finally spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on the military.
But is it too little, too late?
The US spends over three per cent and Trump has demanded European countries pay more like five per cent.
However, Sir Keir’s diversion of aid money to defence has not gone down well with Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who very recently criticised Trump’s own cuts to US aid.
Given Lammy is also in DC with the PM, could there be trouble closer to home than the Oval Office?
TARIFFS
Britain is desperately hoping it can use its Brexit freedoms to escape an export tax beating
WITH President Trump repeating his threat to put 25 per cent tariffs on the EU last night, Britain is desperately hoping it can use its Brexit freedoms to escape a similar export tax beating.
Last night Sir Keir publicly told the US: “We’ve got a balanced book as it were, when it comes to trade . . . millions and millions of pounds either way with the US.
“It’s pretty balanced in terms of surplus and deficit.”
But will that fall on deaf ears with the dealmaker in chief?
BREXIT
PASir Keir’s EU reset could ruin his chances at a ‘Trump card’[/caption]
SIR Keir all but said Brexit was his “Trump card” when it comes to escaping tariffs, but could his new EU reset throw that chance away?
The PM was talking up the special relationship last night, but also keen to stress he will not choose between the US and Europe.
Yet the President may make him do just that.
Any hopes of the long-promised Brexit trade deal with America would be snuffed out by closer alignment to Brussels rules.
But with the Chancellor desperate to try to kick-start growth, Starmer is under massive pressure to tilt back to the EU.
An EU that Trump said last night had been set up specifically to “screw the US”.
There could well be fireworks here.
FREE SPEECH
AlamyThere is a high chance the issue of free speech could come up if President Trump is in full ramble mode[/caption]
VICE President JD Vance took aim directly at Britain two weeks ago, claiming that “free speech is in retreat”.
So there is a high chance the issue could come up if President Trump is in full ramble mode, with concerns about online censorship and “two-tier” justice in Britain big talking points for the American Right.
President Trump’s so-called “First Buddy” Elon Musk branded Starmer “two-tier Keir” on his X platform recently, and the PM hates the allegation.
A row over this would be at the worst end of No10’s disaster planning.
CHINA AND CHAGOS
GettyThe PM’s controversial Chagos plan has riled Republicans[/caption]
THE PM’s controversial Chagos plan to give away a vital oversees territory to Mauritius, an ally of China, has riled Republicans including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
David Lammy admitted last night that the US has a veto on the deal, with fears Trump will take this moment to pull the trigger on it.
And as The Sun revealed this week, the UK Government is about to green-light massive Chinese investment in North Sea wind, just as the US is tilting rapidly away from Beijing.
Don’t be surprised if Trump sounds off on Beijing in front of the most China-friendly British PM in years.
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