UK ought to seize ‘opportunities’ of Trump presidency, says David Lammy – politics reside | Politics

Good morning. As the Labour authorities tries to work out what having Donald Trump once more inside the White House will indicate for Britain, and what it ought to do in response, David Lammy is completely on the centre of that debate. Partly that’s on account of he’s worldwide secretary, and partly it’s on account of (in a crowded self-discipline) he’s most likely the British MP who has been most outspoken and vital about Trump to date.

Lammy has now given an prolonged interview to the BBC’s Newscast podcast to debate these factors. And, as Jamie Grierson tales, he dismissed concepts that his earlier diatribes about Trump would hurt the connection now by describing his suggestions as “old news”.

But Lammy moreover pushed once more in opposition to concepts that Trump’s election could possibly be wholly unfavourable and he talked about it might also present “opportunities” for Britain.

Asked if he accepted that Trump’s election had made life “harder” for the UK authorities, Lammy talked about they might positively be “different”. But, when it was put to him that he was merely being diplomatic, Lammy didn’t accept that. He talked about he wanted to make two components.

The very very first thing is to say that, on the whole, worldwide protection is way much less partisan than house protection. And that’s the case inside the American system as rather a lot because it’s in our system.

The second issue to say is, positive, there shall be variations and there shall be areas the place we disagree actually, I believe.

But there are moreover alternate options and we shouldn’t underestimate the alternate options that there shall be as successfully. And we must always seize these.

Lammy talked about he thought Trump was correct to argue that Europe needed to spend additional on defence. Asked about claims that the British financial system could possibly be harmed by the tariffs that Trump plans to impose, Lammy suggested that will probably be counter-productive for the US, and he suggested that the UK might have the power to get exemptions. He moreover talked about that in worldwide protection there could possibly be areas the place the UK and a Trump administration had widespread pursuits.

In a world the place there’s warfare in Europe, the place there’s an unimaginable lack of life inside the Middle East, the place the US and the UK genuinely have a specific relationship, the place we obtained any individual who’s about to grow to be as soon as extra the US president who has experience of doing the job remaining time spherical, we’ll forge widespread pursuits. We will agree and align on rather a lot and, the place we disagree, we’ll have these conversations as successfully, most incessantly in private.

I’ll put up additional from the interview shortly.

Otherwise, it seems to be like like a relatively quiet day. Parliament is in recess. Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief, is due to be talking about Ukraine all through a go to later. And the Reform UK Welsh conference goes down in Newport, the place Nigel Farage is due to converse at 5pm.

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