𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

For the third time in a little under a fortnight, Donald Trump and Keir Starmer have clashed. This time it was over the Labour leader cosying up to China. It followed spats over Greenland, the Chagos Islands and British troops in Afghanistan. The so-called “special relationship” is fast losing its sheen. So why are these once-unthinkable verbal sparring matches suddenly happening so frequently?

One reason is that Trump is shooting his mouth off, as he always does. It just so happens that Britain and Starmer has been caught in the crossfire in recent weeks. The US President wanted Greenland and when Sir Keir, and other European leaders, said no, toys were suddenly thrown out of the pram. But another reason is that Sir Keir is seen as an easy target by the Republican strongman.

Trump is a real estate brawler who likes to shoot from the hip and probably sees the lefty human rights lawyer as easy-pickings.

He also hates the fact that the Prime Minister wants Britain to be closer to the EU.

The fact that Sir Keir is now courting China – America’s biggest rival in the global superpower stakes – has irked him even more.

But there is also Starmer himself.

The seemingly lame-duck PM is in an extremely weak position as he fends off multiple leadership threats.

Critics say he has no backbone and that countless government u-turns are happening because he’s too weak to stand up to his backbenchers.

Those same backbenchers were furious when Starmer showed Trump too much reverence.

His recent skirmishes, however, are part of a calculated move to prove that he’s got what it takes, not only on the world stage, but domestically too.

With May’s Welsh, Scottish and Local elections fast approaching, time appears to be running out for Sir Keir.