London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed the idea that the UK must choose between the US and EU and advocates pragmatic relations to secure Britain’s future.
Prime Minister Starmer has “Utterly rejected” the notion that Britain must pick between the US and EU under Donald Trump’s leadership, insisting that it is in Britain’s national interest to maintain relations with both.
During a major foreign policy speech on Monday night, the Prime Minister stressed that the UK would “never turn away” from its relationship with the US, despite potential difficulties from the new administration, calling it the “cornerstone” of security and prosperity for more than a century.
He said, “Our relationship with the United States has been the cornerstone of our security and our prosperity for over a century. We will never turn away from that. We call it the special relationship for a reason. It is written not in some dry, dusty treaty, but in the ink of shared sacrifice.”
As reported by The Guardian, he also asserted that he would continue to “reset” the UK’s relationship with the EU, its biggest trading partner, after years of post-Brexit neglect, highlighting the importance of strong bilateral ties for growth and security.
Since becoming Prime Minister, he has visited Berlin to meet Chancellor Scholz, Paris for talks with President Macron, and hosted 50 European leaders at the European Political Community summit.
The Prime Minister said on Europe, “And we will rebuild our ties with Europe too. Because I’m sorry to say the shocking legacy this Government inherited in so many areas – from the nation’s finances to the state of the NHS – extends beyond our shores.”
Sir Starmer said, “The idea that we must choose between our allies, that somehow we’re with either America or Europe, is plain wrong. I reject it utterly.”
He added, “(Clement) Attlee did not choose between allies. (Winston) Churchill did not choose.”
The prime minister’s speech included gestures towards Mr Trump, focusing on the need to prepare Ukraine for peace talks and urging Europe to increase its defence funding.
European leaders are concerned about a divide over Ukraine’s future support, with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, as he expressed during the election campaign his intent to end the conflict on his first day in office.
Donald Trump has nominated investment banker Warren Stephens as his choice for the next US ambassador to the UK, but the nomination still awaits US Senate approval.
Mr. Warren will serve as the top diplomat to one of “America’s most cherished and beloved allies,” the president-elect has confirmed.
No 10 insiders are hopeful that Mr Trump will overlook past criticisms, particularly from Labour Cabinet ministers like Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who once called him a “tyrant” and a “sociopath.”
At his speech at London’s Guildhall, the Prime Minister pledged that Britain would back Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” but for the first time acknowledged the possibility that the conflict could be resolved through negotiation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his willingness to a potential ceasefire with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
PM Starmer stated that “there is no question it is right we support Ukraine,” highlighting that the UK’s aid to Kyiv aligns with its “deeply in our self-interest.”
He added, “So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes.”
Speaking at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in central London, Starmer’s speech also included a defense of international courts, responding to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and criticism of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Sir Keir criticized the previous Conservative government for “demonising” international courts, which Britain played a role in creating, and reiterated his commitment to “international law” and the UN Charter.
Sir Keir insisted he was right to develop close relations with China.
The Prime Minister said, “It is remarkable that until I met President Xi last month there had been no face-to-face meeting between British and Chinese leaders for six years.”
The UK government is also hiring a new EU negotiator to represent Britain in all dealings with the European Union in ahead of the 2025 renewal talks on the trade and cooperation agreement.