Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy—who once referred to former President Donald Trump as a “racist”—has said a Labour government could work with the Republican nominee if he wins the U.S. presidential election in November.
On a visit to Washington, Mr. Lammy met senior Democrats and Republicans as Labour sought to build ties ahead of elections in both countries later this year.
Back in 2017, Mr. Lammy wrote on Twitter: “If Trump comes to the UK I will be out protesting on the streets. He is a racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser.”
But on Wednesday he said, “You are going to struggle to find any politician in the Western world who hasn’t had things to say in response to Donald Trump.”
He added, “Where I can find common cause with Donald Trump, I will find common cause.”
Labour is ahead in the polls and is widely expected to defeat the Conservatives and sweep Prime Minister Rishi Sunak out of office in a general election that will probably be held before the U.S. presidential election.
Trump Is ‘Misunderstood’
Mr. Lammy said President Trump’s approach to NATO was “misunderstood.”During his last term in office, President Trump repeatedly criticised some NATO member countries for failing to increase defence spending and expecting the United States to bail them out in the event of a crisis with Russia.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, massively increasing anxiety in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Finland and Sweden have since joined NATO.
Earlier this year President Trump said if he became president again he would not defend NATO countries who did not spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defence.
Mr. Lammy said Labour might be able to reach the goal of spending 2.5 percent of GDP on defence quicker than the Conservatives.
Mr. Sunak has promised if he is still prime minister he would reach the 2.5 percent target by 2030.
In a speech at the Hudson Institute think tank, Mr. Lammy said President Trump was “a leader whose attitude to European security is often misunderstood.”
He said, “I do not believe that he is arguing that the United States should abandon Europe.”
“He wants Europeans to do more to ensure a better-defended Europe,“ added Mr. Lammy, who said he admitted President Trump’s stance on NATO when in office was a ”little shocking.”
The shadow foreign secretary said, “But U.S. spending on defence actually grew under President Trump, as did the defence spending of the wider alliance during his tenure.”
Mr. Lammy said President Trump’s harsh words might have worked because the number of European countries meeting the 2 percent target had risen from four in 2016 to 10 in 2021 and was set to reach 18 this year.
Lammy: ‘Britain Will Always Work With the US’
“This is not because of a weakening of the transatlantic bond but because of the geopolitical reality in the Indo-Pacific,” said Mr. Lammy, who said the rise of China as a political and military threat in Asia had inevitably forced the United States to pivot away from Europe.Mr. Lammy said: “Britain will always work with the United States. Whatever the weather, whoever wins.”
“If [Sir] Keir Starmer’s Labour Party wins the privilege to serve, we will continue to do the same,” he added.
This week Mr. Lammy is expected to meet President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and Brett McGurk, the national security council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa.
He also has meetings lined up with Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.).
But, in a sign that Labour accepts President Trump might win, he is also meeting Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio), and former Trump administration defence and security officials Elbridge Colby and Fred Fleitz.
Two prime ministers were in office during President Trump’s tenure: Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
