A Labour civil war has erupted as Sir Keir Starmer hailed the UK’s relationship with the US ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration after Sadiq Khan implied he is a facist.
The Prime Minister said yesterday: “With President Trump’s longstanding affection and historical ties to the United Kingdom, I know that depth of friendship will continue.”
Sir Keir added: “We will continue to build upon the unshakeable foundations of our historic alliance as we tackle together the global challenges we face and take our partnership to the next level focused on shared opportunities ahead for growth.”
It came after Labour’s London Mayor suggested that Mr Trump was part of “resurgent fascism haunting the West”, The Sun reports.
Mr Khan said: “The hard-right and far-right are on the march. These are deeply worrying times.”
However, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, told the BBC: “I don’t agree with it.
“I speak on behalf of the Government, and we don’t agree with it.”
Mr Trump is set to be inaugurated later today as the 47th US President.
He and Mr Khan have clashed in the past, including, in 2019, when the American called the London Mayor a “stone cold loser”.
Mr Trump wrote: “Sadiq Khan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly ‘nasty’ to the visiting President of the United States, by far the most important ally of the United Kingdom.
“He is a stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me.
“Kahn [sic] reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job – only half his height.
“In any event, I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom, and am looking very much forward to my visit. Landing now.”
A spokesman for Mr Khan said at the time that “childish insults should be beneath the president of the United States”.
