‘Starmer might must work with Trump even when it means endorsing convicted felon’

There was a time when a criminal conviction would spell the immediate end of a political career.

But there is every possibility that Donald Trump could be re-elected President in November. With his return to the White House comes the return of a diplomatic headache for whoever wins the UK election.

When Trump was first elected in 2016, world leaders struggled to work out the best way to deal with him. Some, such as Germany’s Angela Merkel, kept their distance, making little effort to hide her disgust. Others such as Japan’s Shinzo Abe struck up a rapport with Trump through their shared love of golf.

Theresa May never fully established if he responded best to flattery or formality. All found him mercurial, disorganised and unconventional. You suspect that Britain’s Prime Ministers would prefer if they could act like Hugh Grant in Love Actually by telling their US counterpart where to go.

But whether it is Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer in No 10 it is imperative they forge a working relationship with Trump. The former President has already signalled he could pull US funding for NATO and he has been lukewarm towards continued US support for Ukraine. He is threatening a new trade war by hiking tariffs on imports and made clear he will again withdraw the US from global climate change treaties.

Britain’s security interests depend on keeping him onside. Keir Starmer yesterday said a Labour government would work with whoever Americans elect as President. Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy, although instinctively and politically closer to the Democrats, has already starting building bridges with Republicans in Washington DC in the event Trump does prevail against Joe Biden.

While this pragmatic approach is understandable there is no disguising that Labour would much rather Biden wins and they do not have to associate themselves with an elected felon. They will also be aware there are many Labour MPs, members and voters who will think that to work with Trump would be to endorse his criminal behaviour.