Starmer insists Trump relationship not jeopardised amid election interference claims
Donald Trump's election campaign accused the Labour Party and Kamala Harris' campaign of illegal campaign contributions and interference in the US election, as ITV News Romilly Weeks reports
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is insisting his relationship with Donald Trump won’t be derailed by a row over Labour Party activists flying to the US to campaign for his rival Kamala Harris.
The Trump campaign is accusing the Labour Party of electoral interference, citing a trip, organised by Labour staff, for around 100 volunteers to help Democrats in key states.
The former president‘s team has announced it has now filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Labour calling it a “far-left party” engaging in “illegal foreign campaign contributions.”
Talking to those of us travelling with him to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa, Starmer insisted it wouldn’t jeopardise his relationship with the Republican candidate.
He said: “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.”
The PM went on to stress the activists are volunteers engaging in a long-standing practice, adding: “That’s what they’ve done in previous elections, that’s what they’re doing in this election and that’s really straightforward.”
The linked complaint addressed to the Federal Election Commission refers to reports by The Telegraph newspaper and the Washington Post.The Washington Post claimed advice had been offered between the Labour Party and Harris’ campaign, and there were meetings between senior Labour staff and the Democratic campaign.
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The complaint also references a social media post, which appears to have been deleted, where a Labour staff member appeared to have said there were “nearly 100 Labour Party staff (current and former) going to the US in the next few weeks” to swing states.
Government minister Steve Reed reiterated the PM's response on Wednesday morning, insisting "none of this was organised or funded by the Labour Party", and "it's up to private individuals what they do with their time".
Reed defended the relationship between Trump and Starmer, but said "it's not unusual for Donald Trump to use colourful language".
During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, the SNP's Stephen Flynn praised "brave Labour staff members who've travelled across the Atlantic to campaign against Trump", asking Deputy PM Angela Rayner to do the same.
But Rayner reiterated the government line that "people in their own time often go and campaign".
Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage waded in on the row, telling ITV News "this is a very, very stupid thing to have done."
Farage himself received a donation of £32,836 for flights and accommodation when he went to the Republican convention this summer.
He insisted however that provided activists are doing it off their own back and aren't being paid it is fine.
And, that the time he spent attending Republican events was prior to him "being part of the British government" and he "didn't go on behalf of a political party."
Starmer is spending the week before the Budget on a 20,000-mile round trip to the tiny Pacific Island of Samoa, which is hosting 55 delegations from across the Commonwealth.
His focus will be on growth and trade, in what he calls “an incredible opportunity” to engage with economies worth a combined $19.5 trillion in three years.
However, two of the biggest Commonwealth players India and China are opting to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China) meeting hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin instead.
The Commonwealth is facing competition and the guest list suggests some countries see bigger opportunities elsewhere.
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