Trump’s UK state visit gets political after royal welcome

Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday welcomed Donald Trump to his country home of Chequers for talks on difficult issues including trade, Ukraine and Gaza after the United States president hailed his second state visit to the United Kingdom as the “highest honour”.

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After a day of royal pomp and pageantry at Windsor Castle, Mr Starmer trumpeted the announcement of £150 billion of investment into the UK from US giants including Microsoft and Blackstone.

“Jobs, growth and opportunity is what I promised for working people, and it’s exactly what this state visit is delivering,” said Mr Starmer.

The prime minister has positioned himself as a bridge between the unpredictable US leader and European allies, particularly on the war in Ukraine, in a bid to secure more commitments for Kyiv from Mr Trump.

Mr Starmer’s warm tone with the 79-year-old Republican has won some leniency in the president's trade war, with the two countries signing an “economic prosperity deal” at the White House in May.