Moment Sir Keir Starmer arrives for showdown talks with Donald Trump as PM's plane lands ahead of trip to Turnberry
SUMMIT UP Moment Sir Keir Starmer arrives for showdown talks with Donald Trump as PM's plane lands ahead of trip to Turnberry
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SIR Keir Starmer has arrived in Scotland for showdown talks with President Donald Trump.
The Prime Minister is visiting the US leader's Turnberry estate in South Ayrshire today.
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Sir Keir Starmer has arrived in Scotland ahead of talks with Donald Trump
Credit: Stephen Gibson / Buchanan Photos
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The Prime Minister is expected to raise the situation in Gaza and British steel exports
Credit: Getty
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John Swinney will also meet with the US leader
Credit: PA
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President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sealed a trade deal between the US and EU on Sunday
Credit: Reuters
Sir Keir is expected to raise the prospect of reviving ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas amid the humanitarian crisis engulfing Gaza.
Fears are growing in the international community over mass starvation in the region.
The Labour leader is also likely to discuss the future of tariffs on British steel.
Sir Keir and Mr Trump have built a rapport on the world stage, despite their differing political backgrounds.
The Republican leader has previously praised the PM for doing a "very good job" so far in government.
First Minister John Swinney will also meet the president during his five-day visit to the country.
He said he will urge Mr Trump to place pressure on Israel to agree to a lasting ceasefire and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Mr Swinney told BBC Breakfast: "I think what's important is that we focus on the solutions that are required now, and the absolutely immediate situation is a necessity for a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to need to flow into Gaza so that the people of Gaza can be saved from the starvation that they face.
"And that is the blunt human reality of the situation that we face, and there must be an intensification of pressure on Israel.
"And I think President Trump is ideally positioned. In fact, he's perhaps uniquely positioned to apply that pressure to Israel to ensure that there is safe passage for humanitarian aid to support the people of Gaza, who face an absolutely unbearable set of circumstances as a consequence of the conflict.
TRUMP V WINDMILLS
"And a key part of that must be the application of a durable ceasefire, the flow of humanitarian aid and the progress towards a two state solution in the Middle East."
Mr Swinney also said he would use his meeting with President Trump to press him to exempt Scotch whisky from US trade tariffs.
The SNP leader said the "uniqueness" of malt made in Scotland justified the exemption from the 10 per cent tariff applied on UK exports into the US.
Sir Keir and Mr Trump are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine, which Number 10 said would include "applying pressure" on Vladimir Putin to end the invasion, before travelling on together for a private engagement in Aberdeen.
It comes after Mr Trump announced he had agreed "the biggest deal ever made" between the US and the European Union after meeting Ursula von der Leyen for high-stakes talks at Turnberry yesterday.
Speaking ahead of his meeting with Sir Keir, Mr Trump said: "We're meeting about a lot of things. We have our trade deal and it's been a great deal.
"It's good for us. It's good for them and good for us.
"I think the UK is very happy. They've been trying for 12 years to get it and they got it.
"It's a great trade deal for both, works out very well. We'll be discussing that.
"I think we're going to be discussing a lot about Israel. They're very much involved in terms of wanting something to happen.
"He's doing a very good job, by the way."
Mr Trump's private trip to Scotland comes ahead of a planned state visit to the UK in September.
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