NOT FOR THE first time, US President Trump has belittled a British Prime Minister, stating that Kier Starmer is “no Churchill”. Cue hand ringing in the UK press, as a needy Britain asks, “What does this mean for the Special Relationship?”.

The conservative media, sensing Starmer’s weakness and smelling blood, are having a field day. The Telegraph exclaimed that no prime minister since Suez has bungled the special relationship worse than Starmer.

That seems like an exaggeration and ignores the fact that during his first term, Trump had a habit of belittling Theresa May, yet the same media outlets were not so quick to announce an end to the special relationship then.

Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office at the White House yesterday, where he made the 'no Churchill' jibe about Starmer. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

As the Suez Crisis, Vietnam War, the first and second Iraq wars, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and now Iran demonstrate, the so-called Special Relationship has continuous ups and downs.

When Britain chose to embark on one last imperial folly in Egypt in 1956, Washington not only told it that the US had no interest in joining a war that it believed was unnecessary, but it also applied heavy political pressure on the UK, prompting an embarrassing military withdrawal.

When the US chose to embroil itself in a decades-long bloody quagmire in Vietnam, the UK did not send troops to fight, despite considerable pressure from the White House. It did, however, provide diplomatic and covert support.

The Special Relationship

In Iraq and Afghanistan, the US and UK stood shoulder to shoulder. When it comes to Ukraine, Britain’s position has been consistent – support Ukrainians in the just and brave defence of their homeland against the expansionist ambitions of its aggressive neighbour.

Washington’s position, however, has wavered depending on who happens to be President. And now we have Iran.

The 'special relationship' reached new heights during the US/UK invasion of Iraq. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Starmer may not be Churchill, but Trump is certainly no Roosevelt. It is hard to imagine quite how Britain’s greatest wartime leader would have handled relations with a president who is as capricious and untransparent as the current occupant of the White House.

If reports are to be believed, the British government was given no warning by the United States of its plans to bomb Iran. Doing so would not simply have been courteous but critical in helping ensure UK military preparation prior to needing to take defensive actions, as occurred when Iranian drones, seemingly fired in retaliation for US bombing, targeted a UK military base in Cyprus.

UK PM Keir Starmer. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Having failed to do the necessary diplomatic groundwork prior to launching his attack on Iran, Trump should not have been surprised that Starmer has been unwilling to simply pile on it. If Trump wanted Starmer’s support, he needed to give him time to prepare the case for war and win support for the idea in Parliament. Mr Trump may not have noticed, or may not like it, but the UK is a democracy.

However, that is not the US President’s modus operandi. When he says jump, he expects other leaders of sovereign states to ask “how high”. When they don’t, Trump reverts to his first love, belittling and bullying.

Despite all this, the special relationship will continue, at least for now. Presidents and Prime Ministers come and go, what remains are deep institutional, intelligence and military ties that bind the UK and the US together in mutual interest.

While one should not underestimate just how much damage Trump could do to UK/US relations during his remaining time in office, it’s worth remembering that there have been many moments of tension that have strained the special relationship before.

For now, Trump’s words should be viewed for what they are: a petty response to not getting what he wants when he wants, and just another moment in the ebb and flow of the special relationship.

Sydney Nash is a former civil servant, UK/EU negotiator, and advisor on Brexit and international trade. He writes in a personal capacity and can be found on Substack @nashsgc.

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