Starmer faces task of persuading Trump to take different path on Gaza crisis
'I like your prime minister. He's slightly more liberal than I am, as you've probably heard. But he's a good man,' the US president told reporters. At a time when the UK wants Trump's ear on numerous weighty issues, his response to questions about the 'special relationship' will have given Downing Street some reassurance.
But it has been hard won. Starmer has been clear since before Trump's re-election that he would work with him if it was in Britain's national interest. There have been uncomfortable moments, but so far his decision to align himself with the US president has broadly paid off.
Most notable was the economic deal agreed by the two leaders which slashes some of Trump's tariffs on cars, aluminium and steel, and which – even though it is not yet fully implemented – the UK government hopes will be a first step towards a closer trading relationship.
Starmer, along with other western allies, has also helped encourage Trump to shift his position on Ukraine. After initially siding with Vladimir Putin and appearing to blame Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the invasion, the US president now declares himself 'very unhappy' with his Russian counterpart.
The prime minister now faces his toughest diplomatic task of all: trying to persuade Trump to take a different path on the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. Even getting the issue on the agenda will not have been straightforward, with the White House not regarding Gaza as a priority.
Trump is the only international leader whom the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, listens to – and even then, not all of the time – so getting the US president's ear at this precise moment is an opportunity not to be squandered.
With international fury over the situation on the ground in Gaza growing, Starmer has also been under pressure domestically – from his cabinet, Labour MPs and increasingly the public – to take further action against Israel.
Government advisers are defensive – citing what the UK has already done to hold Israel to account since Labour came to power – and promising further action will follow, even if it is not clear what that might constitute.
They point to the UK restoring funding to the UN agency Unrwa, sanctioning far-right Israeli ministers and those who committed settler violence, breaking off trade negotiations with Israel, backing the legitimacy of the international criminal court and restricting arms licences to Israel (though not preventing them entirely).
Sign up to Headlines UK
Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning
after newsletter promotion
The initial urgency is around humanitarian aid, with mass starvation spreading across Gaza, and Starmer will be hoping to persuade Trump that the situation on the ground will only worsen unless the Israelis fully lift their blockade of almost all aid into the territory.
The longer-term prize, however, would be a ceasefire. Starmer will press Trump to revive ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiation teams from Qatar last week. Getting them back round the table to agree a 60-day break from fighting is a prerequisite to a more permanent cessation of violence.
The window of opportunity is narrow: the Israeli parliament is not sitting until October, which gives Netanyahu the cover he would need to agree a deal. But Starmer knows Trump is the only international figure who can put pressure on him to do so.
Only at that point does Starmer feel the UK could follow France and formally recognise a Palestine state. No 10 insiders insist it is a 'matter of when, not if' and David Lammy, the foreign secretary, will be at a UN conference this week to establish a pathway to formal recognition.
To the deep frustration of many in his party, the prime minister last week rejected a call to follow France in recognising Palestine amid concerns the move would be largely symbolic without a ceasefire in place, and that issue could overshadow the talks with Trump.
But that means that even more rides on Monday's meeting with the US president. It will be a test of whether the energy put into maintaining a good relationship with Trump has been worth it. And it will also show how far Starmer really is prepared to push to help bring an end to the catastrophe in Gaza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Urgent warning issued to people selling their identities online
There is a 'worrying trend' of people selling their own identities, a fraud prevention service has said. The selling of identities, often in the hope of financial reward, leaves people liable for loans or credit taken out in their name by criminals. Fraud prevention service Cifas, whose members include banking, retail, insurance, and telecoms bodies, said that more than 118,000 cases where identity fraud was suspected were recorded between January and June 2025. It said the ongoing threat is being exacerbated by AI (artificial intelligence)-enabled synthetic identities and fabricated profiles that can bypass security checks. It highlighted concerns that people are sometimes selling their own identities, typically on the promise of attractive financial opportunities. But by giving criminals access to legitimate credentials, Cifas is warning that people risk having debts built up by others in their name. Releasing its latest Fraudscape report, Cifas said that criminals are using advanced AI to create fake identities, forge documents, and bypass verification systems with 'alarming accuracy'. It said identity fraud risks have spread across various sectors, including false applications and identity theft in motor insurance; mobile account takeovers; and gambling-related identity fraud including criminals misusing the identities of people who have died. There has also been an increase in cases involving employees committing fraud against employers, Cifas said, with organisations reporting that more employees were concealing their background information to secure roles. Secret 'polygamous working' – where people hold multiple jobs or roles without their employer's knowledge or consent – as well as using fraudulent reference houses to cover employment gaps – are also a persistent threat to employers, Cifas said. Its Fraudscape report showed that, in total, more than 217,000 fraud risk cases were recorded to the National Fraud Database (NFD) by Cifas members from January to June 2025. Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas, said: 'Fraud is a national emergency – and AI has supercharged the threat, making it more sophisticated and harder to detect. No sector, business, or individual is immune. 'Tackling this fast-changing danger requires urgent, co-ordinated action through cross-sector collaboration and the sharing of data and intelligence. Only by working together can we stay ahead of the criminals and keep organisations and people safe from harm.'
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘One-in-one-out' migrant returns deal with France set to ‘begin next month'
The UK's one-in-one out returns deal with France is reportedly set to begin in a matter of weeks, as pressure piles on the government to take further action to stop people from making the dangerous journey across the Channel. The agreement, announced by the prime minister in a joint press conference with Emmanuel Macron last month, means that for each small boat migrant sent back across the English Channel, an asylum seeker will be allowed to enter the UK from France under a legal route. Sir Keir Starmer said it was a 'breakthrough moment' which would 'turn the tables' on the people smugglers who bring them here. Sources told The Times that home secretary Yvette Cooper, will sign a deal on Wednesday meaning that about 50 people a week who enter the UK on small boats can be sent back to France, starting from next month. Government sources told the newspaper that the signing ceremony was an indication of the endorsement of the deal by the European Union - amid concern that the bloc could oppose the agreement. Labour has put a pledge to crack down on the number of people coming to the UK on small boats at the centre of its plan for government. But with boat crossings at a record high, and the asylum backlog still above 75,000, there is mounting pressure on ministers to take more drastic action - pressure which is exacerbated by the success of Reform UK in the polls. Last week figures showed that the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel topped 25,000 – the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 25,000 mark has been passed since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018 It comes amid escalating protests across the UK opposing the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, with a number of people arrested after a protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf in London on Sunday. Protesters jeered at people going in and out of the hotel, and officers were forced to step in after flares were let off in the crowd, the Metropolitan Police said. A group of people outside the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf were 'harassing occupants and staff', trying to prevent people make deliveries, as well as trying to 'breach the fencing and access the hotel', a statement said. In recent days, the government has announced further measures to support their crack down on illegal migration, including pouring an extra £100m into their efforts. The money will support the pilot of the new returns agreement with France, paying for up to 300 more National Crime Agency (NCA) officers and new technology and equipment to step up intelligence-gathering on smuggling gangs. Meanwhile, anyone who advertises small boat crossings or fake passports on social media could be face up to five years in prison under a new offence to be introduced under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. Speaking on Monday, Dame Angela Eagle told Sky News ministers are 'doing the detailed work' to bring down the asylum backlog, adding: 'We've taken 35,000 people off our streets who have no right to be in our country and sent them back to their countries of origin within a year.' 'We are doing all we can to deal with the challenges that the police are facing on the streets to make sure that women and girls are safe, and in fact, that everybody is safe on our streets.' But as tensions continue to flare over the issue, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said he thinks the 'public's patience has snapped'. 'This is issue is beyond party politics - it is causing immense harm to communities, people's lives are being wrecked as a result of it, and we simply have to fix it. 'I respect people who are peacefully protesting outside hotels this weekend. I understand why they feel so concerned. They're seeing their communities damaged', he added.
Daily Mirror
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Keir Starmer hails major UK-France deal to tackle Channel small boat crossings
The 'one-in, one-out' pilot scheme could see some adult migrants who make the Channel crossing at risk of return if their claim for asylum is considered inadmissible A major treaty between the UK and France attempting to tackle dangerous Channel crossings is set to come into force tomorrow. The"one-in, one-out" pilot scheme could see some adult migrants who make the crossing at risk of return if their claim for asylum is considered inadmissible. In exchange, people with a legitimate claim to live in Britain will be sent in their place under the treaty, which remains in force until June 2026. Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron reached the agreement last month during the French President's state visit to the UK. It was agreed the scheme would begin as a pilot and is the first returns deal struck with France since Britain left the European Union. It comes after Nigel Farage appearances on Sky News sparked thousands of complaints. Keir Starmer said: 'This government has been fixing the foundations of the broken asylum system we inherited and today we send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France. 'This is the product of months of grown-up diplomacy delivering real results for British people as we broker deals no government has been able to achieve and strike at the heart of these vile gangs' business model. 'The days of gimmicks and broken promises are over – we will restore order to our borders with the seriousness and competence the British people deserve.' Ministers have previously declined to say how many migrants could be returned. But reports have suggested the pilot will be capped at 50 a week - around 2,600 each year. The Home Office said ratification of the treaty comes after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau signed the final text last week. They said the EU Commission had also given the green-light to the scheme, which Ms Cooper described as "groundbreaking". She said under the deal "people who undertake illegal, dangerous journeys to the UK – putting lives at risk and fuelling organised crime – can be returned to France". She added: "In return, we will take people who apply legally with appropriate documentation to be transferred to the UK, subject to clear eligibility criteria and stringent security checks. 'This is an important step towards undermining the business model of the organised crime gangs that are behind these crossings – undermining their claims that those who travel to the UK illegally can't be returned to France." 'It is also right to make clear that – while the UK will always be ready to play its part alongside other countries in helping those fleeing persecution and conflict – this must be done in a controlled and managed legal way, not through dangerous, illegal, and uncontrolled routes." On Monday the Home Office also announced a £100million boost to border security to pay for up to 300 additional National Crime Agency Officers. The cash will also fund a pilot of the 'one-in, one-out' returns deal with France.
