Keir Starmer stands by foreign secretary who called Donald Trump a ‘sociopath’
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Sir Keir Starmer has stood up for his foreign secretary, David Lammy, who previously described Donald Trump as someone who sympathizes with neo-Nazis and has sociopathic tendencies.
Downing Street announced on Wednesday, just hours after Mr. Trump's victory was confirmed, that Mr. Lammy will continue in his position until the upcoming election.
The show of support followed a request for the prime minister to say sorry for a comment made by one of his senior colleagues in an article from when he was a regular MP back in 2018.
A year ago, Mr. Lammy took to Twitter to say, “Absolutely, if Trump visits the UK, I will be out on the streets protesting. He supports racist groups like the KKK and has connections with Nazis.”
Since taking on the role of foreign secretary, Mr. Lammy has aimed to establish connections with the Trump administration. However, the recent election outcome has brought renewed attention to his previous remarks, raising concerns about his capability to collaborate with the upcoming U.S. president.
In the same piece from 2018, the MP for Tottenham discussed President Trump's initial official trip to the UK, expressing that he planned to demonstrate against the government's submission to "this dictator in a wig."
"Trump isn’t just someone who harbors disdain for women and has connections to neo-Nazi ideologies," he expressed, "but he also poses a serious risk to the global stability that has supported Western advancement for many years."
The Prime Minister faced criticism regarding his remarks during the Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons, particularly from the new Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch.
She referenced a dinner in September that involved the Prime Minister, Mr. Lammy, and Mr. Trump. She inquired, "Did the foreign secretary seize the chance to express regret for his offensive remarks, which included calling Trump 'not just a woman-hating Neo-Nazi sympathizer and sociopath, but also a serious threat to global stability'? If he didn't apologize, will the Prime Minister now offer an apology on his behalf?"
Sir Keir sidestepped the inquiry by stating that the meeting was “highly productive.”
Earlier this year, Mr. Lammy stood by his comments referring to Mr. Trump as a neo-Nazi sociopath, explaining that many politicians had their own views about him "in the past."
He mentioned that he had encountered JD Vance, who is Mr. Trump's vice-president, and commented that they found some mutual understanding.
“We both come from low-income families and have dealt with addiction problems within our families, which we've discussed in our writings. Additionally, we share a Christian faith. I’ve had the chance to meet him several times, and we’ve managed to connect and get along well,” he stated.
Sir Keir began Prime Minister's Questions by offering his congratulations to the newly elected president on their success.
He mentioned, "As partners who are tightly bonded, the UK and the US will keep collaborating to safeguard our common principles of liberty and democracy."
"After sharing a meal with President-elect Trump just a few weeks back, I am eager to collaborate with him in the upcoming years."
