Lib Dem leader urges Keir Starmer to take a bold “Love Actually”-style stand against Donald Trump, signalling a tougher diplomatic tone in UK-US relations.
According to Sir Ed Davey, the prime minister had to be more forceful in his criticism of the US president, who has shown himself to be a "totally unreliable" ally.
Hugh Grant's prime minister uses a news conference in the joyous film Love Actually to confront Billy Bob Thornton's intimidating US president.
Sir Ed told the Press Association:
“I think the White House and President Trump have proven themselves to be totally unreliable allies.
I say that with some sadness, because I’ve always believed in Britain’s special relationship with the United States. But with this president, I’m afraid we have to face reality.
He is being anti-UK, anti-Europe, and he threatens our economy with his tariffs, and he threatens our defence and security with the way he’s siding with Russia and indeed siding with extreme right-wing parties across Europe.
He should not be interfering in our democracy, and I asked the Prime Minister to stand up to him in the Prime Minister’s Questions this week, and I’m afraid I got a weak answer.”
Sir Ed added:
“I love Love Actually. It’s a brilliant film.
And if I was prime minister with a press conference with President Trump, I would give him some surprises. He would not like it.”
Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of Metropolitan Police, charged that the US president was discussing "complete nonsense" regarding crime in the capital of the United Kingdom.
In a November interview with GB News, Mr. Trump claimed that crime in London was "crazy" in comparison to his mother's time there:
"Today you have people being stabbed in the ass or worse."
Mr Trump, who has a long-running feud with London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, said:
“You have areas in London – and you have this in Paris, too – where the police don’t even want to go anywhere near those areas.”
Sir Mark told LBC Radio:
“In terms of some of the comments that come from America about London, they’re complete nonsense.
So, there’s no no-go areas. That’s completely false… I think how anybody in America can suggest the UK is violent is completely ridiculous. I think the homicide rate in London is lower than every single US state. It’s lower than all their big cities.
I think the murder rate in New York, last time I looked, is about three or four times higher than it is in London per capita.”
What specific actions could Keir Starmer take to oppose Trump more strongly?
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has suggested Keir Starmer could borrow bolder public gestures against Donald Trump, drawing on the iconic Love Actually scene where the UK PM defies US pressure on foreign policy.
Starmer could issue a direct statement rejecting Trump's National Security Strategy language on European" civilizational erasure" and migration, explicitly advising against US hindrance in UK choices or support for far-right parties like Reform UK.
Stronger conduct include breaking common military exercises if Trump undermines Ukraine aid, intimately backing EU warrants on US enterprises abetting Russian elusion, or tying trade addresses to commitments on NATO spending without territorial concessions in peace deals.