Sir Keir Starmer has said he will keep in touch with US President Donald Trump after leaving Downing Street, following a NATO summit in Ankara that exposed the mercurial nature of the transatlantic relationship. The prime minister, who announced his resignation last month, revealed that Trump had wished him well during their meeting. “Yes he did, and we’re going to stay in touch,” Starmer told broadcasters, adding that the pair “have always got on as two individuals”. That bond was once hailed by his team as one of the biggest successes of his premiership, but Trump later mocked Starmer as “no Winston Churchill” over a row about the refusal to permit UK bases for US-Israel strikes on Iran.
The summit itself was a showcase of Turkish hospitality and security: roughly 70,000 personnel secured the event, all protests were banned, and hundreds of critics were arrested. Trump repeatedly praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who gifted each NATO leader a personalised revolver with live ammunition. Starmer’s gun, inscribed with his name, was left with British officials in Turkey, who are expected to decommission it.
“Starmer says he'll stay in touch with Trump after resigning, as NATO summit reveals Trump's volatile mood and praise for Erdogan.”
Trump’s volatile performance confounded allies. He arrived angry that a temporary ceasefire with Iran had failed, denouncing the Islamic leadership as “scum” and “sick people”, and lashing out at NATO itself. He complained about Britain’s failure to help in the Iran war, rehashed claims on Greenland, and demanded the US sever trade ties with Spain. Hours later, after a meeting with the same leaders, he declared: “There was a lot of love in that room.” He praised Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “ingenious”.
Starmer stressed the strategic alliance between the UK and US is “hugely important”, adding that the two countries work “together 24/7”. “I’m glad that that’s what I’ve been able to achieve,” he said of his relationship with Trump. “That has been what I set out to do, I think it’s really important for my country, and that’s what always comes first for me.”
His resignation as Labour leader has paved the way for a contest, with Andy Burnham currently the only candidate. Burnham could become prime minister on 20 July.