Keir Starmer has stood as much as Trump – it is not his solely danger
After weeks of threats from Donald Trump to annex Greenland, the Keir Starmer worked with other NATO allies to force a U-turn, saving the UK from tariffs as he did so
The PM was a success on the global stage(Image: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street)
On the surface, this should have been a good week for Keir Starmer.
After weeks of threats from Donald Trump to annex Greenland, the PM worked with other NATO allies to force a U-turn, saving the UK from tariffs as he did so. The special relationship, in this instance, was with other European countries, who managed to talk the US President down and save their citizens from further costs in the process.
This was a significant accomplishment, and one that played to the PMs strengths on the international stage. There was no time to celebrate, however, with the US President creating yet another incident after he falsely claimed NATO allies “stayed a little back, off the front line” in Afghanistan, a conflict that claimed the lives of 457 British troops.
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Starmer’s approach to Trump since his election has been to shower him with praise and respect, setting himself up as a friend on the edge of Europe. And as the year has gone on Europe too has relied on Starmer as a “Trump whisperer” – able to bend his ear and persuade him on topics others couldn’t. That seemed to come to a crashing halt in the first few days of 2026, when Starmer was left out of the loop on Trump’s plan for Venezuela – only speaking to him days after the invasion. Starmer publicly stood up to Trump over Greenland – and hit back even more ferociously over the Afghanistan comments, over which he encouraged Trump to apologise.
Hugging Trump close was always a gamble. It was inevitable Trump would eventually do something we couldn’t stand for. And while Starmer may hope to salvage their relationship by backing him on issues we agree on, once Trump sours on someone, he really sours on them. Starmer doesn’t have a nickname yet, but it may just be a matter of time.
As international relationships continue to strain, there are also further battles at home, after the latest re-emergence of Andy Burnham. The Greater Manchester Mayor has long been viewed as a potential rival to the PM, but for the longest time was without a route back to Westminster. Now after former minister Andrew Gwynne announced he would stand down as MP for Gorton and Denton citing “significant ill health”, a path has been cleared.
The Mirror understands some allies of the PM had been desperate to organise a candidate long before the vacancy, so they could parachute one in to block Mr Burnham. However, they may not need to, with any candidacy needing to be approved by Labour‘s ruling body, the NEC, which has been seen as under the control of Mr Starmer’s supporters.
One Labour backbencher told The Mirror that the PM and his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney are “frit” – meaning they are running scared. On Friday the former deputy leader Angela Rayner called for Mr Burnham to be allowed to stand, while Jo White, the MP who leads the “Red Wall” Group of MPs, warned against a “stitch-up” blocking Mr Burnham from a seat. Mr Burnham hasn’t even announced an MP bid, let alone one for the leadership, and he’s already creating headaches for the PM.
Being seen to block Mr Burnham from a bid would carry risks. Elections expert Lord Hayward told the Mirror: “There is a risk that the Burnham by-election debate will emphasise the sentiment that Keir Starmer is running a London-centric Labour party, which is clearly apparent in the number of recently appointed peers… most of whom come from within the North and South Circular.”
There are also questions over what it could mean for the Labour leadership race many believe is quietly taking place behind closed doors. Many on the left would like Angela Rayner to fill any vacancy, but worry she is tarnished after admitting she underpaid stamp duty. Those on the right are pushing Wes Streeting, though he denies it, but his politics may not fit that of the membership. With no unity candidate, some MPs wonder if it may finally be time to press the Burnham button, the Labour politician with the highest approval rating.
Then there is the issue of Scottish Labour, a group reported elsewhere to be planning its own leadership challenge in a bid to boost Anas Sarwar ahead of the Holyrood election. However, speaking to Scottish MPs it is clear that the idea they are a universal bloc intent on bringing the PM down or supporting a particular candidate is wide of the mark. Some support the PM, while others believe Mr Starmer is doomed, with one joking the chances of him being ousted were as likely as a day ending in “Y”. Another claimed he could turn things around, but it would require listening to MPs after “18 months of ignoring advice”.
Others were more relaxed, expressing despair at Scottish Labour’s polling after years of SNP rule, but believing there is still time to turn things around.
There is of course another possibility in all this, that Mr Burnham runs, wins, and is a loyal member of the team, a popular politician that can boost the Government. Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman welcomed the prospect of Mr Burnham returning to Westminster, and expressed hopes colleagues would do the same.
He said: “Andy Burnham is an incredibly accomplished politician, very very popular, he’s done a fantastic job in Manchester, and I want the parliamentary Labour party to have as many skilled politicians as possible.
“I would welcome him, I think he’d be a fantastic addition, and I would like to think the NEC would appreciate his qualities. It would be great to have him standing and ultimately winning.”
