Starmer and Lammy urged to mend fences with Trump

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy have been told they must work “twice as hard” to repair transatlantic damage with Donald Trump after their “immature and reckless statements”.

Mr Lammy has referred to the President-elect as a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath” and a “tyrant in a toupee”.

In 2016, Sir Keir described comments made by Mr Trump as “repugnant” and “offensive, shocking and disturbing”.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel urged the UK Government to build bridges with the incoming administration.

She said: “It is in our national interest to have a strong and constructive relationship with the US, and that is why Keir Starmer and David Lammy must now work twice as hard to repair the damage resulting from their immature and reckless statements.”

Stressing areas where the UK and US can work together, she said: “There is much the Conservative Party and President Trump agree on – particularly the challenges facing our counties on protecting our borders, tackling illegal immigration, and raising defence spending.”

Dame Priti insisted the “importance with our relationship with the US cannot be overstated” and said Mr Trump’s election “presents exciting new opportunities for this in the years ahead”.

She said: “The friendship and affinity between our two peoples and two countries is profound and deep rooted, manifesting in millions of interactions each and every day – from over £300billion in trading, to cooperation on defence and security, and shared cultural values with a commitment to prosperity and freedom.

“It is these bonds that make the relationship so enduring. It is not just held in the offices of the British and American governments but shared by our two peoples.”

In the House of Commons last week, Sir Keir said he and Mr Trump had “underlined our shared commitment to the special relationship in the years to come”.