‘If Trump hates him, he’s the right choice’: Readers dismiss White House anger over Ed Miliband’s appointment as foreign secretary

tod Miliband’s appointment as foreign secretary infuriated Washington; The White House was said to be “deeply concerned” by this election.

New prime minister Andy Burnham has been warned that Trump “will not forget” Mr Miliband’s criticism of him over the years and that the foreign secretary must “make serious diplomatic repairs” in the US.

The two have clashed for a decade over net zero and Russia; Mr Miliband once called Trump a “racist, misogynist, self-confessed abuser” and later accused him of “lowering the bar on stupidity”.

Independent But readers largely dismissed the debate as Trump’s overreach.

The dominant view was that it was not the US president’s role to veto a British cabinet appointment, and that the “special relationship” mostly meant Britain deferring to Washington without doing anything in return.

Meanwhile, fewer readers warned that it was reckless to antagonize a sitting US president at a time when Britain outside the EU cannot afford to burn its closest ally.

Here’s what you need to say:

Right choice if Trump hates him

If Trump hates him, he’s definitely the right choice. Starmer’s fawning over Trump, who abandoned him anyway, was his undoing. It’s good that it’s closer to Canada; Closer to the EU, even better. Stand up to Trump and he will respect you like any tyrant. We must work closely with the EU, especially in the fields of technology, medicine and defense. Stop looking at Americans.

punda

Cowards only respond to force

An excellent choice, Burnham. I could understand Starmer’s desire for diplomacy, but diplomacy doesn’t work with Trump. Cowards only respond to people who oppose them. I hope this will be a moment of confrontation.

DHC

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Britain must reassert its sovereignty

We in the UK need to learn a lesson from the French and more recently the Canadians. We need not tolerate American interference in our affairs, whether from the American government, American billionaires, or anyone else. The French never succeeded, and they did much better than us in defending themselves. Now, under Carney, Canadians are doing the same. Americans like Trump, who think that the USA should dominate the world, want to turn all their old friends and allies into effective colonies. We must work with everyone else in this position to purge all sources of American influence on our affairs and reassert our sovereignty. In any case, Trump has made himself so unpopular in the United States and around the world that he will soon be a lame duck president, even if he isn’t already.

bobcat

The USA has no say in our cabinet

What right do Trump and his team have to decide who will be in the Labor Government’s Cabinet? Because, as far as we know, isn’t Great Britain just another state in the United States under the greasy control of your lordships? Get over it, Mr. President, and focus on your own problems and priorities. Holding grudges and resentments are not attractive qualities of a leader.

WinnieB

Test for Burnham

Whether Burnham reacts to Trump’s anger and keeps Miliband in office will be a test. It is not the US president’s prerogative to choose the British cabinet.

EEMC2

Imagine the outrage if we criticize Trump’s choices

The US apparently believes it has the right to veto the UK government’s appointments. Can you imagine the hell and fury the White House would feel if the British government commented on the Trump administration’s appointments? I am aware that we have close ties with the US on many issues, but this constant criticism of the UK by the White House is becoming ridiculous and needs to be voiced.

Fruit T-Bunn

It’s not Trump’s business

I can’t imagine Ed Miliband or Andy Burnham would be too bothered! It’s none of Trump’s business who gets appointed. Contrary to what Trump thinks, other countries do not have the right to elect ministers.

Suney

He is Britain’s foreign minister, not America’s.

As far as I can tell, he is the British foreign secretary, not the US foreign secretary. So the decision is not up to Trump. Some will say that we shouldn’t appoint someone Trump doesn’t like, but we have seen time and time again that Trump is not an ally and will be an enemy to everyone, so we should in no way bow to his whims.

PaulMG

There is no such thing as a special relationship

He was hated for telling the truth. It is time for the British people to wake up, there has never been a special relationship, a special relationship only exists if we kneel down and do what the US government wants. This is a one-sided relationship.

Sunlight

We gave Trump too much air time

We tried kissing her backside and it brought us nothing but sadness and loss of respect. It’s time for our secretary of state to focus his attention on the rest of the world, and Trump will need to consider what he wants to do. We give this country too much air time.

SeanF

What really bothers them is the climate message

The last thing they want is a net zero enthusiast traveling around the world telling other countries that it might be a good idea to take action on climate change. I think this is more of a concern to Trump and his cronies than anything Miliband might have said in the past.

Antmanbee

Don’t try to appease Trump

Whatever you do, Ed, don’t try to calm Trump down. He will see this as another sign of Britain’s weakness. And we’ve seen plenty of that with Starmer.

hurricane8

Trump fails to understand America’s declining interest

There is nothing to worry about. Trump seems incapable of understanding that turning his back on Europe and NATO also means that, as a natural progression, the United States will become less and less relevant as time goes on. I understand that sane US military leaders fully understand this, but Trump is such a stable genius that he must have a secret master plan.

The Dark Side of the Balloon

Remember how they treated Mandelson

Trump’s reaction confirms that he is the right man. But didn’t they whine the same way about Mandelson and his comments and then dislike him? However, Mandelson was the US Ambassador and thus directly involved with them; In Miliband’s case, the US is just one of many countries with which he will do business.

ElectiveScot

Miliband’s appointment was politically unwise

Miliband was not a good choice as foreign secretary because a) he has limited experience in foreign policy and b) he is not respected by Trump. There is a lot of bravado on the subject suggesting that Trump should be ignored, but that is politically unwise. The UK is outside the EU; Realpolitik orders him to work with Trump.

Musil

Higher authorities require restraint

Any political figure in high office who cannot hold his tongue should not be in that high office – Lammy, Miliband are just two of them. The important thing is not to make you love yourself and your country, but not to use derogatory words and terms about anyone. I agree, I disagree with the instructions and policies but don’t engage in schoolyard behavior, you have to be on top of it, grit your teeth, you don’t even have to be their friend.

leaf spot

Some of the comments in this article have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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