A senior US think tank figure has warned that Labour's decision to send activists to campaign against Donald Trump has jeopardised chances of a UK-US trade deal.
Andrew Hale from The Heritage Foundation told GB News it was "truly horrific that 100 Labour activists were sent to the United States to campaign for Kamala Harris".
He said this amounted to "interfering in a domestic US election" and has complicated his efforts to promote trade agreements with American senators.
Labour is currently seeking to strengthen ties with the incoming president despite the campaign controversy.
Hale said Starmer's chances of striking up a chord with Trump are low
REUTERS / GBN AMERICA
The Prime Minister told Cabinet ministers on Tuesday he wants to pursue "a partnership with the US for the 21st century" to advance economic growth.
With borrowing costs hitting their highest level since 2008, Downing Street is eager to restart trade deal talks ahead of Trump's January 20 inauguration.
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Donald TrumpREUTERSThe potential agreement follows failed negotiations during Trump's first term due to agricultural sector disagreements.
Previous Labour criticisms of Trump have strained relations, with Sir Keir Starmer having said in 2018 that "humanity and dignity" were "two words not understood by President Trump".
Foreign Secretary David Lammy previously called Trump "a racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser" in 2017.
Other senior Labour figures also made strong statements, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting describing Trump as "an odious, sad, little man".
Andrew Hale spoke on GBN America
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Environment Secretary Ed Miliband had called Trump a "racist, misogynistic, self-confessed groper" following his 2016 victory.
Hale told GB News that US senators have expressed concerns over UK police arrests and prison sentences for Facebook posts when discussing trade agreements.
He noted the criticism extends beyond Labour, pointing out that former Conservative justice minister Robert Buckland had endorsed Kamala Harris.
"I don't think there's a great deal of love between the Trump transition and the Conservative Party and the Labour Party," Hale said.
Diplomatic sources believe Trump may prioritise meetings with right-wing European leaders like Italy's Giorgia Meloni over Starmer after the inauguration.
Senior UK diplomats are advising the government to prepare a face-saving response if Starmer is not among the first leaders invited to the White House.
Former UK ambassador Peter Ricketts suggested Labour should focus on "substance rather than who gets the first call" in managing the relationship with Trump.
Meloni has already met Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where he praised her for having "taken Europe by storm".
