Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that he will be meeting with former President Donald Trump during his visit to the United States. The UK prime minister is currently in New York for the UN General Assembly and has also scheduled meetings with other prominent figures such as Larry Fink of BlackRock and Brad Smith of Microsoft.
Speaking to reporters, Starmer expressed his desire to meet both presidential candidates, including Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. However, due to scheduling conflicts, he will only be able to meet with Trump on this trip.
Starmer emphasized that his discussions with Trump are aimed at establishing a relationship between the two leaders. He believes in the importance of personal relations on the international stage.
It is worth noting that attitudes towards Trump within the Labour party have been largely critical. Several members of Starmer’s cabinet have previously criticized him, using terms such as “sociopath” and “racist”.
Starmer made it clear that it is ultimately up to the US electorate to decide their next leader, but regardless of who wins, the UK will work with them.
Ahead of their meeting, Trump spoke highly of Starmer, describing him as “very nice” and praising his recent election campaign.
During his address at the UN General Assembly, Starmer outlined his vision for a more collaborative approach from Britain. He emphasized listening more and speaking less while still offering British expertise in a spirit of equal respect.
Additionally, Starmer called for reforms within international institutions such as the UN Security Council. He advocated for permanent membership for countries like Brazil, India, Japan, and Germany while also ensuring representation from Africa.
Furthermore, he highlighted the need for reform in the international financial system to better support developing nations. To address this issue, he announced plans for a new facility within British International Investment aimed at mobilizing funds for development projects and combating climate change.
