Six years ago, David Lammy called Donald Trump a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath” and a “profound threat to the international order”.
On Wednesday, Lammy, now UK foreign secretary, offered Trump “congratulations” and said the British government “look forward to working with you”.
It marked the latest step in a fervent mission to repair relations with Trump and his Maga outriders that has seen Lammy visit the US seven times as shadow foreign secretary and twice since the UK election in July.
Lammy’s charm offensive included meetings with vice-president-elect JD Vance, South Carolina senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham and former national security adviser Robert O’Brien, along with other key Republicans.
Describing himself as a “small c conservative” and a “good Christian boy” who is committed to family values, Lammy has sought to highlight the “common cause” between himself and Trump.
The most important leap forward in his plan to repair relations occurred in September, however, when he joined UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for an intimate and lengthy dinner with the then-Republican candidate in Trump Tower.
Over two and a half hours the trio chatted about Trump’s passion for Scotland — where his mother was born and where he has a golf resort — and his interest in Britain’s royal family, according to people familiar with the conversation.
Whether the overtures will be enough to banish the memories of his invectives remains unclear.
Hours after Lammy’s congratulation message, new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch used her debut showdown against Starmer at prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons to ask whether Lammy had apologised to Trump in person for his “derogatory and scatological” remarks about the president-elect.
She also highlighted that many Labour cabinet ministers signed a motion calling on Trump to be banned from addressing the UK’s parliament, and urged Starmer to override those sentiments by inviting Trump to speak to British parliamentarians.
Starmer — who had told his senior team to “tweet responsibly” on the eve of the election result — replied the dinner with Trump had been “very constructive”.
Asked on Wednesday whether Lammy would remain foreign secretary for the duration of this parliament, Starmer’s spokeswoman said: “Yes, he’s the foreign secretary.”
Starmer subsequently spoke with Trump to congratulate him on his election victory.
The pair discussed the strength of the UK-US relationship, spanning defence, security, growth and prosperity, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
Starmer also “reflected on the situation in the Middle East and underscored the importance of regional stability”. Recalling their September meeting, they talked about Trump’s “close connections and affinity” to the UK and said they looked forward to working together, Number 10 added.
A potentially more significant barrier to the flowering of the UK’s “special relationship” with the US is Trump’s newfound closeness to Elon Musk.
The Tesla boss and X owner has taunted Starmer on the social media site and claimed after the summer riots that the UK was headed towards “civil war”.
Musk, who knows the UK well and has twice been married to a British woman, lashed out at Britain, saying no one should visit the country after not being invited to Starmer’s international investment summit last month.
Now a staunch Trump supporter, who committed more than $100mn to the pro-Republican America Pac, Musk has been tipped to lead a new US department tasked with making deep cuts to the bureaucratic state.
His involvement in the new administration, which has not been confirmed, may see him able to influence Trump’s views on issues and allies.
Trump’s victory also has a bearing on Starmer’s choice of UK ambassador to the US — bolstering the likelihood that the incumbent Dame Karen Pierce is asked to stay on.
Nicknamed the “Trump whisperer” in diplomatic circles, she has been praised for building strong links with Republicans and was credited with helping to set up a tête-à-tête at Florida’s Mar-a-Lago in April between Trump and Lord David Cameron, then UK foreign secretary, to discuss Ukraine.
Under her auspices, the UK embassy in Washington has also built links with the president-elect’s son Donald Trump Jr and a range of other Trump allies, according to UK government insiders.
Starmer delayed starting a recruitment process for a new ambassador until the result of the US election was known in order to keep open the option of extending Pierce’s term.
Yet not all high-profile Labour politicians have rushed to welcome Trump’s victory. Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, suggested the US election result had triggered anxiety and fear in the UK capital.
London has a long-standing rivalry with New York in the field of financial services but is now establishing itself as a European centre for artificial intelligence, technology and green finance.
Khan sought to capitalise on the US election result by portraying the British capital as a place that is “proud of our diversity” and committed to progressive values.
Khan believes the result could sharpen cultural differences between London and the US and make the UK capital more attractive to investors.
Khan’s allies confirmed that the mayor believed the capital’s “quality of life and stability of leadership” would become increasingly attractive to international investors.
The London mayor, who has clashed with Trump in the past, said on Wednesday he knew that “many Londoners will be anxious about the outcome of the US presidential election”.
But he added: “London is — and will always be — for everyone. We will always be pro-women, pro-diversity, pro-climate and pro-human rights.
“London is a place where we’re proud of our diversity, proud of the contribution of all our communities and proud of our spirit of unity. These are some of the values that will continue to bind us together as Londoners.”
