A crucial visit Keir, so don’t flunk it
THIS week’s state visit by Donald Trump will be a defining moment in Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
The two leaders have already built an unlikely rapport and Britain is pulling out all the stops to bolster US-UK ties.
ReutersTrump’s visit will be a defining moment in Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership[/caption]
GettyDonald Trump and Queen Elizabeth II during his 2019 state visit[/caption]
The President will be treated to a full display of royal pomp and ceremony when he meets the King at Windsor Castle and revels in the splendour and history that no other nation on earth can match.
And he and the PM will have a world stage on which to unveil billions of pounds of new tech deals and present a united front against tyrants like Putin and Xi Jinping.
But Mr Trump’s second state visit could not come at a more critical time for the PM.
Sir Keir needs to rapidly restore his credibility after the disastrously-timed sacking of his ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson.
We were told he was the grown-up who would get a grip on the Government. That the former top lawyer’s meticulous attention to detail would sort out Tory chaos.
But the PM appears to lack laser-focus when it comes to the scandals that have rocked his party.
He was forced to oust his Transport Secretary Louise Haigh after displaying a remarkable lack of curiosity about her criminal past when he promoted her.
Then he threw his weight behind his deputy Angela Rayner over her tax affairs before she was forced to resign.
Now it has emerged that No10 aides knew about the damning emails that sunk Lord Mandelson but did not tell the PM until after he had defended the peer.
It all makes him look as if he would prefer to avoid rather than confront the truths — however tough it may be.
The President’s state visit should be a key moment for the nation. Sir Keir needs to show his mettle and raise his game.
He cannot flunk this opportunity. The stakes are too high.
Loud and insincere
THE people who shout the loudest about welcoming illegal migrants are often those who feel the impact the least.
Analysis has found that councils run by the Lib Dems and Greens look after the lowest numbers of asylum seekers.
So they inevitably face fewer problems than those housing many more.
These areas haven’t felt the impact of crime committed by recent arrivals.
They also haven’t borne the brunt of pressure on local services.
Both Lib Dem leader Ed Davey and his Green counterpart Zack Polanski need to spend some time in the real world.
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