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Whatever Next?

Whatever Next?

American flag outside the capitol building

Any minute now a convicted criminal who also stands accused of fostering insurrection will become the most powerful person in the world. The one thing we do know about him is that we don’t know, ever, what he’ll do for an encore. As our Political Correspondent Peter Spencer reports, everyone’s on best behaviour and crossing their fingers.

Compared to colleagues, Keir Starmer’s been the model of moderation. He’s gone no further than describing some of Donald Trump’s views as: ‘Repugnant, offensive, shocking and disturbing.’

His less inhibited deputy, Angela Rayner, tweeted after the Capitol Hill riots: ‘The violence that Donald Trump has unleashed is terrifying, and the Republicans who stood by him have blood on their hands.’

Then there’s the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has in the past called the man a ‘tyrant in a toupee’ and: ‘A woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath.’

But Starmer now insists the UK-US special relationship will ‘continue to prosper’. And, Lammy adds, the new Prez is: ‘Someone that we can build a relationship with in our national interest.’

Oh well, that’s all right then. Er, up to a point.

No question, the dinner the three of them enjoyed at Trump Tower back in September seems to have papered over a few of the cracks.

But while our chaps can, on mature reflection, row back on horrid things they’ve said in the past, the Donald is given to flipping on a sixpence.

Certainly there’s been no evidence of him calling out his new bestie, the billionaire Elon Musk, over his explosive tweets in recent weeks about how utterly rubbish Starmer and his government are.

Little wonder then that Britain’s new ambassador to the US of A, Peter Mandelson, has been treading on molten eggshells ever since he got the job.

Back in the eighties, as Labour’s spin doctor, his skill at fixing, schmoozing and scheming behind the scenes earned him the love/hate soubriquet the Prince of Darkness.

But his lauded and loathed media savvy’s set to be tested to extremes as the new administration ducks, weaves and infuriates on an hourly basis.

On the plus side, the deal between Israel and Hamas to at least pause what many are describing as the genocidal war in Gaza probably is largely down to the incoming team.

The terms are no different from what the Americans had been suggesting for months. But Trump’s warning that ‘all hell will break loose’ if they don’t do as they’re told has concentrated minds.

Bottom line being that the Israeli Prime Minister has always known that, if push comes to shove, Joe Biden would always back him.

Suddenly that certainty has gone. So he was going to have to risk whatever to force the deal through.

At the same time those on the other side, not just Hamas but their many backers, also got a fit of the jitters.

Whether the mooted ceasefire will turn into lasting peace, and if so on what terms, is anyone’s guess. But at least it’s a start.

And the same might well apply to the war in Ukraine. For similar reasons.

Trump’s promise to end the fighting in twenty-four hours has slithered back to within a hundred days, or six months, or something.

Nonetheless, the very possibility that Yankee backing for the defenders could suddenly halt must have forced President Zelensky to think beyond his valiant efforts to drive the Russians out.

At the same time, the monsters in the Kremlin are as well aware as everyone else not just of Trump’s unpredictability but also of his vanity.

Meaning if he’s to broker a peace it’s got to be on terms that don’t make him look like a loser. So, like it or lump it, they’re not going to get away with slaughtering their way to total victory.

Besides, given the immense cost to Russia in terms of money wasted and lives lost in Putin’s grotesquely ill-advised adventure, he might not be all that sorry to be handed a get-out.

On top of that, if he were to decide to just give Trump the bird there’s no knowing what the payback might look like. Nuking Moscow no, but tightening the stranglehold in other ways? Most certainly yes.

Looking ahead to the post-war period, meanwhile, Starmer’s unexpected visit to Kiev, and his promise of a hundred-year security, cultural, health and scientific co-operation pact seems to fit into the same jigsaw.

No question, it’s going to outlive Trump’s presidency. And it’s bound to bolster Ukraine’s position in any peace talks. Which of course is the plan.

Not like Starmer doesn’t have stuff to deal with back home, mind. Notably the nagging questions about the state of the British economy.

Here once again, however, the looming spectre of Trump’s threatened approach casts its dark shadow.

Some say his plan to make companies from abroad pay more to sell goods to the USA will do every bit as much damage to us Brits as to everyone else.

Could be he’ll cut us a little extra slack because of our historic ties and his Scottish heritage.

Or he might even just be making it all up anyway, as those selfsame charges would also hit Americans in the pocket.

Who knows what’s going on in his mind? Unkind commentators might even point to an early Spitting Image gag that suggested the then President Reagan’s brain had gone missing.

But what we can’t miss right now is that, having bet his shirt on boosting the boodle in Britain’s coffers, economic growth since Starmer took over has been anaemic.

Latest figures from the International Monetary Fund indicate that we are doing a little better than expected, and are ahead of other comparable countries like France and Germany. But that’s not saying much.

And the Chancellor’s inability to magic money out of the sky overnight is reflected in the latest polls, one of which reveals that only one in ten of us is now giving the government the thumbs up.

Plus, two surveys suggest that Nigel Farage’s Reform party is outstripping the Conservatives and within one point of beating Labour. That’s if there were an election tomorrow. Which there won’t be.

But would it not make sense for the two right-wing parties to join forces? A winning combo, surely? And the more ferociously the two of them deny it, the more it makes you wonder.

For now though, Rachel Reeves is holding firm. Insisting all will come right in the end, however tough the choices she’s making might seem in the short term.

She’s certainly doing her best to turn adversity to advantage, telling Auntie Beeb she’s happy to be known as the ‘iron chancellor’.

Quite a good way of spiking Tory guns, as Thatcher’s ‘iron lady’ nickname worked well with the blue-rinsers.

Also, in that same Beeb interview, Reeves confessed to carrying a Tupperware box around with her, so she can save any leftover breakfast pastries for lunch, because it’s good value for money.

There’s a woman who knows how to channel her inner grocer’s daughter …

Watch Peter’s report at peterspencer.org


Peter Spencer has 40 years experience as a Political Correspondent in Westminster, working with London Broadcasting and Sky News. For more of his fascinating musings on the turbulent political landscape, follow him on Facebook & Twitter.

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