Peter Hitchens is a long-standing critic of the UK-US special relationship.
In 2010, the Mail on Sunday columnist wrote: "Too many people – many of them academics, many politicians – continue to jabber about a supposed ‘special relationship’ between our two countries.
"I used to think that no such thing existed. Recently, I have become convinced that it does, and that it is in fact a Specially Bad Relationship."
Hitchens was referring to then-President Obama's strong stance against BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which became the worst environmental disaster in US history. However, his polemic could have been written today.
The special relationship appears to have hit a new low after Vice-President JD Vance used his address at the Munich Security Conference to claim free speech was “in retreat” in Britain and that Brexit voters had been betrayed by elites opening “the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants”.
It was an unprecedented intervention into British politics, but so has been the Prime Minister's stance towards the US.
PMs are often accused of kowtowing to America - not Starmer, who has found himself fundamentally at odds with his presidential counterpart.
He views the world very differently from Trump and his MAGA crowd - and these differences will be tested this week as he heads to Washington in a desperate bid to shore up the transatlantic alliance.
Here's a look at the three biggest diplomatic trials Starmer will face on Thursday.
Free speech
The veep's critical remarks about free speech in Britain were widely read as a thinly-veiled swipe at Starmer, who has been accused of undermining this constitutional right since sweeping to power.
X owner Elon Musk, who holds a key role in the new administration, has led the charge in the wake of the summer riots, accusing Starmer's Government of creating a "police state" and enforcing Soviet-style restrictions on free speech in Britain, a reference to members of the public who received lengthy prison sentences for social media posts.
Starmer vehemently denies this charge, but the accusation has persisted nonetheless.
Days before he heads out to Washington, his party has been branded "anti-free speech" after two police officers visited a grandmother's home to caution her about her online activity.
Helen Jones, 54, was questioned by detectives in Greater Manchester after calling for the resignation of Labour councillors involved in the recent WhatsApp scandal.
With Trump making free speech a cornerstone of his agenda, this could prove a headache for Starmer.
Starmer could face a grilling in Washington this week
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Local vs global
At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, Trump praised Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, referring to him as a "great guy", adding: "I've always liked him."
This is not the first time Farage's relationship with Trump has put prime ministers in a diplomatic tight spot, but Starmer has more reason to worry because the chief architect of Brexit is now an elected MP and the PM heads up a left-wing government.
In Farage, Trump sees a kindred spirit as both politicians see themselves locked in an eternal struggle against a globalist elite who are hellbent on destroying their respective nations.
Their shared disdain for the establishment is evident in Trump's admiration of Brexit - he has drawn parallels between Britain's historic decision to leave the EU and his own MAGA movement.
At a campaign rally in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 24, 2016, Trump said: "They will soon be calling me Mr. Brexit."
Starmer, on the other hand, was an arch-remainer, having campaigned to stay in the EU.
Although he has ruled out rejoining the single market or the customs union, he's attempting to reset relations with Britain's nearest trading partner.
Starmer will look to reinforce Britain's relationship with America while defending European interests.
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Ukraine
The biggest test Starmer will face on Thursday relates to his stance on Ukraine.
Under Trump, America's policy towards the invaded nation has dramatically shifted, with the Republican leader branding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" and going over his head to negotiate directly with Vladimir Putin.
With Western allies frozen out of the talks too, this brazen overture has sent shockwaves through Europe, with NATO leaders scrambling to guarantee Ukrainian security should Uncle Sam walk away.
Starmer, meanwhile, has reaffirmed his support for Ukraine's leadership.
This has set him on a collision course with the Trump administration ahead of Thursday.
Along with other European leaders, he will seek to persuade Trump to keep up its support of Ukraine and reaffirm America's commitment to the NATO alliance.
