Relationship with Trump may be beyond repair, Keir Starmer told | Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer has been warned his relationship with Donald Trump could be irreparable after the US president mocked the prime minister for consulting his team on military decisions in a sarcastic parody.

In a new low in UK-US relations, Trump appeared to imitate Starmer in a weak voice during his speech at an Easter luncheon at the White House, saying the UK was “not our best ally”.

The episode was Trump’s latest hurl at Starmer and the UK’s “old” aircraft carriers after the prime minister refused to allow the US to use British military bases for initial strikes against Iran.

Following the latest attack on Starmer, diplomatic and political figures said that Starmer was right to ignore the criticism, but that the relationship had suffered greatly and he should redouble his efforts to build international relations elsewhere.

The US president accused Starmer of lying about sending an aircraft carrier, saying Britain “should be our best ally” but was not during the Iran war.

In his speech, the President said: “I asked this. [the] UK, who should be our best? Actually the king will come here in two weeks, he is a good man, King Charles.

“But it should be our best, but they weren’t our best. I said: ‘You have two old, broken-down aircraft carriers, can you send them?’

“’Ohhh, I’ll have to ask my team.’

“I said: ‘You are the prime minister, there is no need for this.’

“‘No, no, no, I need to ask my team. My team needs to meet, we’ll meet next week.’

“But the war has already begun. Next week the war will be over… in three days.”

However, Downing Street sources said Trump never requested the ships from Britain and Britain did not offer them. In his previous criticism of Starmer two weeks ago, Trump said Starmer wanted to consult his team about sending minesweepers, not aircraft carriers.

A senior diplomat said Starmer was right to “essentially ignore” Trump and should now look to build ties with Canada, Australia and mainland Europe as it was difficult to see how the relationship would improve.

Another former diplomat said the king’s visit, and possibly Prince William and Kate’s upcoming US tour, could offer a way to improve Britain’s relations with Trump, but Starmer was taking the right approach in not giving in to the president’s demands.

A government adviser on foreign affairs said Starmer would always do what was in the UK’s best interests; even if that means making things right with Trump, but the “unpredictable, volatile” nature of the president’s insults towards the UK has raised the question of whether trying to establish a close personal relationship is the best course of action.

Labor ministers and MPs have reassured Starmer that they strongly support his approach of remaining calm in the face of Trump’s anger and insults; Some believe his handling of the war and the US president’s bid to remain leader regardless of the outcome of next month’s local elections strengthens his case.

Emily Thornberry, a Labor MP and chair of the foreign affairs committee, said she was “delighted that we have a leader who works with a team in the UK and listens to experts”.

“Making decisions about foreign policy, let alone war, without listening to others leads to problems such as being caught unprepared when the Iranians close the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

Kim Darroch, former national security adviser and former British ambassador to the US, said Starmer was “right to resist direct involvement in this ‘war of choice'”.

“But this situation has undoubtedly caused serious damage to her personal relationship with Trump,” he said. “It could probably end. But it is equally possible that a damaged Trump will lash out, perhaps with new or higher tariffs, whether against NATO or select Europeans, including the UK; “This is a risk that makes rebuilding our ties with the EU single market an urgent priority.”

Trump’s attack on Britain and Starmer has caused problems for Nigel Farage’s Reform Britain and the Conservatives, who initially supported US bombing of Iran but have now softened their support.

Reform UK MP and economic leader Robert Jenrick told LBC that the relationship between the prime minister and the US president had “clearly taken a huge hit, probably irreparably”. But he said he was in no way defending Trump “or the way he has behaved — far from it.”

Jenrick said: “I don’t like to see foreign leaders berating the UK leader, regardless of party. You want our Prime Minister to be someone who is respected on the world stage and respected by our key allies.”

Trump’s remarks at a luncheon not open to the press were posted on a social media channel by the White House and later deleted. But the remarks were downloaded and republished by a political reporter on the US website Business Insider.

During the lunch, Trump also mocked Emmanuel Macron, saying the French president was “still healing from the chin down” and claiming that Macron’s wife, Brigitte, “treated him extremely badly.”

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Britain for its refusal to allow the use of military bases for initial strikes against Iran, as well as for its move to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Starmer did not retaliate but said he would stick to his position on the war “regardless of the pressure and noise”.

Asked by parliament’s liaison committee about “rather rude” comments made by Trump, the prime minister said: “I am entirely focused on what is in our country’s interest and I have no regrets about that. Despite pressure from elsewhere, I will remain laser-focused on what is in Britain’s national interest.”

“And much of what is said or done is undoubtedly said and done to put pressure on me, I have no doubt about that. I understand what is going on. But I will not hesitate about it.”

He added: “I am the British prime minister and my job is to focus strictly on Britain’s national interest. This has served me well in recent weeks and it is the principle to which I will abide as I continue to make difficult decisions.”