Keir Starmer's strategy for dealing with Donald Trump has come under intense scrutiny after the US president launched a scathing attack on the UK's Chagos deal and posted an image depicting him meeting European leaders.
Starmer, who has been working closely with Powell - Tony Blair's former chief of staff, now Keir Starmer's national security adviser – is determined to find a "pragmatic, sensible and sustained" route through the latest crisis. He prefers calm discussion over gesture politics that could damage the relationship.
However, within 24 hours of his measured address, Trump had set off another diplomatic bomb by launching a broadside against the UK's Chagos deal, which he had previously warmly endorsed.
Starmer's strategy - dubbed "keep calm and carry on" - is already being called into question by some political opponents who see it as a passive approach that fails to address differences directly. Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has described Trump as a bully and an international gangster, suggesting that the only way to deal with him is to stand up to him.
Privately, some inside the ruling Labour party agree that Starmer's approach needs to be re-evaluated. However, his cabinet ministers have rallied behind him, saying that private diplomacy has worked on issues like tariffs and Ukraine.
One cabinet minister noted that while Trump's behavior is unpredictable, the UK government needs to get behind Starmer and see how this situation unfolds. Another said that if Trump gets even more volatile, the UK will need to reassess its relationship with him.
Despite the chaos caused by Trump, some senior figures in his administration are trying to smooth over US-UK relations. The US House speaker told the UK parliament he had spoken "at length" to the president and was there to calm the waters.
It remains to be seen how Starmer's strategy will play out, but for now, it appears that love is in the air at 10 Downing Street - with the US commerce secretary telling the UK finance minister "We love you. We do."
Starmer, who has been working closely with Powell - Tony Blair's former chief of staff, now Keir Starmer's national security adviser – is determined to find a "pragmatic, sensible and sustained" route through the latest crisis. He prefers calm discussion over gesture politics that could damage the relationship.
However, within 24 hours of his measured address, Trump had set off another diplomatic bomb by launching a broadside against the UK's Chagos deal, which he had previously warmly endorsed.
Starmer's strategy - dubbed "keep calm and carry on" - is already being called into question by some political opponents who see it as a passive approach that fails to address differences directly. Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has described Trump as a bully and an international gangster, suggesting that the only way to deal with him is to stand up to him.
Privately, some inside the ruling Labour party agree that Starmer's approach needs to be re-evaluated. However, his cabinet ministers have rallied behind him, saying that private diplomacy has worked on issues like tariffs and Ukraine.
One cabinet minister noted that while Trump's behavior is unpredictable, the UK government needs to get behind Starmer and see how this situation unfolds. Another said that if Trump gets even more volatile, the UK will need to reassess its relationship with him.
Despite the chaos caused by Trump, some senior figures in his administration are trying to smooth over US-UK relations. The US House speaker told the UK parliament he had spoken "at length" to the president and was there to calm the waters.
It remains to be seen how Starmer's strategy will play out, but for now, it appears that love is in the air at 10 Downing Street - with the US commerce secretary telling the UK finance minister "We love you. We do."
Trump's actions are getting wilder by the minute. I mean, what's next? Starmer's "keep calm and carry on" strategy might be a bit passive, but it's better than letting diplomacy go up in flames every time Trump loses his temper. The UK can't control how much he blusters, but they can control their response to it. Maybe instead of trying to out-agitate him, we should focus on building bridges with people who actually want to work together? 
But at the same time, private diplomacy has worked in some areas, like tariffs and Ukraine, so maybe we should keep trying that too? 
I mean, Trump's not exactly known for his love of kindness and respect for others. Maybe we're just setting ourselves up for disappointment if we think this will magically fix everything? 
. It feels like he's just playing defense, but not really engaging with Trump's aggressive behavior. I mean, come on, if you're going to meet with European leaders, at least post a decent pic 
. And what's with the commerce secretary's sappy declaration of love? Is this some kind of awkward diplomatic icebreaker or just a weird attempt to smooth things over 
starmer's trying to stay calm & diplomatic, but i think ed davey's got a point - sometimes u gotta stand up 2 him & show he won't bully u around 
meanwhile, i'm low-key loving the 'we love you' vibes from the us commerce sec 
. But if Trump keeps going off the rails, we need to reassess our relationship with him, you know? 
love u trump commerce secretary tho lol!
ed davey's right though, we need to stand up for ourselves and not let trump bully us around 
My problem is that if we don't stand up for ourselves, no one will. And yeah, maybe it sounds aggressive, but at least it shows we're not afraid of him... 
what do you guys think? 
. I'm all for finding a pragmatic solution, but Starmer needs to strike a balance between being diplomatic and standing up for what matters 
. Seriously though, it's just politics as usual - everyone's trying to navigate their way through the chaos without getting burned 
. Starmer's got some solid advisors like Powell guiding him, so I think he'll find a way to keep things under control 
. But honestly, can we please just have a straightforward conversation about trade or something instead of all this back-and-forth nonsense 
?
. Trump's been going on and on about the Chagos deal and he just kinda... shrugs it off? Like, what's next? Will we just sit back and let him do whatever he wants? 
The art of politics can be a delicate dance, and sometimes it takes time to find the right step to take 
. As Nelson Mandela once said, "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Let's see how Keir Starmer will navigate this diplomatic minefield 
.
not just a bunch of wishy-washy diplomacy 
I'm all for private diplomacy too, but sometimes you gotta call Trump out for what he is - a bully 
not some gangster to be appeased with empty words 
anyway, it's all about damage control now i guess