By Scott Lucas

Fluffed and flattered by the Windsor ceremonies, Trump stayed on script and gushed about the UK.

Despite the pomp and circumstance, Donald Trump's state visit to the UK was not about the mythical "special relationship".

It was not even about an alliance.

The US President is not a believer in alliances, at least in the sense that we have understood them since World War II.

For Trump, this was a trip for ego and his quest for status.

And for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, it was about damage limitation in three areas.

First, the effort to contain Trump's tariffs. Even if they are set at 10% in July's framework, that is a cost to UK companies as well as to American importers, manufacturers, and consumers. And that framework is........

© LBC