Keir Starmer Should Use "Entire Political System" To Build Ties With Trump, Says Ex-National Security Adviser
3 min read
Lord Sedwill, the former national security advisor, has said the government should use people who "have a good relationship" with the Donald Trump administration to help deepen ties with the new US president.
Trump was sworn in as president at his inauguration in Washington on Monday after defeating Democrat Kamala Harris to secure a second term in the White House late last year.
Keir Starmer congratulated Trump in a warm statement and his official spokesperson later told reporters that the prime minister looked forward to continuing the "uniquely close" UK-US relationship. Starmer is expected to meet Trump in the US in the coming weeks.
However, while Starmer's language is effusive, the widespread view is that Trump's return to the White House will present challenges to the UK government. Not least the role in the new US administration of Elon Musk, the billionaire X owner whose online attacks on Starmer, minister Jess Phillips and the UK have caused outrage in Britain.
Downing Street has also been forced to deny suggestions that Trump snubbed Starmer by not inviting him to Monday's inauguration, attended by the Italian prime minister and UK opposition MPs including Reform leader Nigel Farage.
“The US custom is foreign governments are officially represented by their ambassadors," said Starmer's official spokesperson.
"Obviously, MPs have attended in the past. As set out, they get private invites from members of Congress and they are not representing the government. That's what's happened in previous inaugurations and that’s what’s happening at this inauguration as well.”
Sedwill, who served as national security adviser from 2017-2020, said ministers should use the whole Westminster system and MPs from all parties, including Farage, who has a friendship with Trump, to help build relations with the new administration in Washington.
"There are a lot of other big players in the American political system and we should use our entire political system, including the people who have good relationships with them, to the national advantage," he told PoliticsHome.
Sir Mark Sedwill arrives at the BBC in April 2024 (Alamy)
However, he expressed concern about Musk, who will be Trump's efficiency tsar, describing him as unlike anything he has experienced in his career in diplomacy. Sedwill also served as head of the civil service to former Conservative prime ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
"We didn't have anything quite like this," he said.
"He seems to have taken personally against our prime minister.
"It may not be a perfect parallel, but during my time as national security adviser there was a pattern of behaviour from Trump who openly expressed confidence in other cabinet members as potential prime ministers."
Musk posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, calling home office minister Phillips a "rape genocide apologist" after she ruled out a new national inquiry into the grooming gangs across the UK. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper later announced a "rapid" review of the issue as well as national backing for local inquiries into the gang-based sexual exploitation.
"The description of Jess Phillips was just completely unreasonable and unacceptable," Sedwill told PoliticsHome. "She's a politician, open to criticism for her decisions, but the language used about her had an impact on her personal security."
On Monday, Starmer's spokesperson didn't deny reports that he had set up a 'mini-Cabinet' to strategise how to handle issues that may arise from the new Trump administration.
“It is entirely routine as you’d expect for ministers to meet and discuss a wide range of issues.”
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