Labour-Trump row: What are the rules around UK parties campaigning in the US?
Words by Politics Producer Maya Bowles
A row has broken out between the Trump campaign and the government, after Trump's team accused Labour activists of election interference.
On Tuesday, the former president‘s team filed a complaint with the US election watchdog over a trip organised by Labour staff, for around 100 volunteers to help Democrats in key states.
The complaint labels the governing Labour Party as a “far-left party” engaging in “illegal foreign campaign contributions.”
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted no rules have been broken, as the activists are campaigning "in their spare time".
"That's what they've done in previous elections," he added.
The key question is whether or not the activists were paid by the Labour Party for campaigning - but a government minister insisted on Wednesday: "None of this was paid for or funded by the Labour Party."
What's the Trump campaign saying?
Trump's campaign have written to the Federal Election Commission, requesting an "immediate investigation into blatant foreign interference in the 2024 Presidential Election".
The FEC is an independent agency of the US government that enforces campaign finance laws and oversees federal elections.
The complaint alleges the Labour Party made "apparent illegal foreign national contributions" to Kamala Harris' campaign.
The statement begins with a reference to the Civil War, saying: "When representatives of the British government previously sought to go door-to-door in America, it did not end well for them".
"This past week marked the 243 anniversary of the surrender of British forces at the Battle of Yorktown, a military victory that ensured that the United States would be politically independent of Great Britian", it continued.
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The complaint featured references to articles in The Telegraph and The Washington Post about activists travelling to the US and connections between senior Labour officials and the Democratic campaign.
The Washington Post claimed advice had been offered between the Labour Party and Harris’ campaign,.
What did the LinkedIn post say?
The complaint also centres around a post on LinkedIn from Labour's Head of Operations Sofia Patel, in which she appears to invite Labour staff to come over the the US to campaign for Harris in key swing states.
"I have nearly 100 Labour Party staff going to the US in the next few weeks heading to North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsulvania and Virginia," the post said.
"I have 10 spots available for anyone available to head to the battleground state of North Carolina - we will sort your housing,"she added.
The main point of contention is around the offer of housing for activists, but the government insists it was not organised or funded by the Labour Party, and Starmer said he understood they were "staying with other volunteers over there."
The post had sparked some backlash from senior US Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor-Greene who wrote on X: "Foreign nationals are not allowed to be involved in anyway in US elections. Please go back to the UK and fix your own mass immigration problems that are ruining our country".Have the rules been broken?
The FEC states that foreign officials can campaign for a US election candidate but only as an "uncompensated volunteer".
But the rules warn that "the volunteer must be careful not to participate in the decision-making process of the campaign".
There is no evidence that the Labour activists were being paid or involved in decision-making, and it is a longstanding tradition that Labour staffers go out to campaign for Democrat candidates.
But the rules also state that there's a $1,000 limit on how much volunteers can spend on transport - and the costs of flights to the US could have potentially exceeded that.
The Conservatives also often send people out to the US to campaign for the Republicans.
Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage has waded in on the row, telling ITV News: "The rules are very clear, foreign nationals can go to America to campaign, speak and give opinions, that is all within the rules.
"But not if they are being provided money to do it. They have to do it off their own back."
But Farage himself has received a donation of £32,836 for flights and accommodation when he went to the Republican convention this summer.
When asked how this differed accusations being levelled at Labour, Farage told ITV News: "I wasn't part of the British government when I went, I didn't go on behalf of a political party.
"I went as an individual in the wake of Brexit, and when I actually spoke on stage in 2016, I told the audience in Mississippi that I'm here but I can't tell you who to vote for.
"America is our most important ally in terms of strategic intelligence, in terms of military co-operation, in terms of being the backbone of Nato and in terms of being our biggest trading partner in the world.
"It is politically a very, very stupid thing to have done."
What is the Labour Party's defence?
Starmer and his ministers have insisted there is no breach of the rules, saying that activists have travelled out "in their spare time, doing it as volunteers".
"That's what they've done in previous elections, that's what they're doing in this election, and that's really straightforward", he told reporters on board a flight to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa on Tuesday night.
But the fact that the LinkedIn post came from a senior person within the party, and has now been deleted, has raised some eyebrows.
The PM defended his relationship with Trump, telling journalists: "I spent time in New York with President Trump, had dinner with him and my purpose in doing that was to make sure that between the two of us, we established a good relationship, which we did."
Minister Steve Reed dismissed the significance of the remarks by Trump's campaign, insisting "it's not unusual for Donald Trump to use colourful language."
The FEC declined to comment on the complaint when approached by ITV News.
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