UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says his personal rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump helped Britain avoid some of the trade tariffs recently imposed by Washington.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4 marking a year since Labour came to power, Starmer said the two leaders had built a “good relationship” despite differing political views.
“We’re very different, but we connect—especially over family,” Starmer said, noting Trump had called to offer condolences after the death of his brother, Nick, and that he had earlier reached out following the assassination attempt on Trump in July last year.
Starmer said this relationship was key to protecting UK industries from new U.S. tariffs. He also credited a casual conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron during a train ride to Kyiv for helping spark an EU agreement aimed at lowering food prices in the UK.
