As Trump wins and Harris concedes, focus turns to relationship with UK and Keir Starmer
“Donald Trump’s second term in office presents significant challenges for the UK and the special relationship across a range of areas — with the economy, defence and political relationships foremost among them. Sir Keir Starmer could hardly have been more effusive as he congratulated Trump after his “historic” election victory. Downing Street later said he would extend an invitation to parliament for Trump if he was to visit the UK. But the prime minister’s very public show of support comes after an extraordinary home goal by Labour in the run-up to the US election. Last month, Sofia Patel, Labour’s director of operations, posted a public message on LinkedIn calling for volunteers to campaign in the US. Donald Trump and his campaign team were so incensed they filed a formal complaint to the Federal Election Commission accusing Labour of foreign interference. It even named two of Starmer’s most senior aides” – The Times
- Starmer ‘looking forward’ to working with Trump despite criticism from MPs – Telegraph
- Trump will dismiss Keir Starmer as a ‘lightweight woke lefty’ and a negotiating ‘novice’, warns top US analyst who says the PM should now sack David Lammy – Daily Mail
- Badenoch demands Starmer apologise to Trump in ‘punchy’ PMQs debut – Telegraph
- Keir Starmer shrugs off concern about David Lammy’s Trump insults – The Times
- No 10 believes it has done its homework for a Trump presidency – Guardian
- Will Trump listen to Starmer? – Spectator
- Starmer’s defence pledge could slip to 2034 despite Trump Nato warning – The i
- Sadiq Khan risks stoking feud with Donald Trump as he claims Londoners are ‘fearful’ – The Express
COMMENT
How the Guardian will stand up to four more years of Donald Trump – Kath Viner The Guardian
Why millions of Americans support Trump – Douglas Carswell CapX
Wailing Lefties still don’t get it despite Trump landslide – he understands ordinary working people, they’re deluded – Rod Liddle The Sun
Trump’s triumph is a disaster for Starmer and the self-regarding, virtue-signalling elites – Allister Heath The Telegraph
Unlike some of my Tory friends, the return of Donald Trump, a rabble-rousing braggart, leaves me fearful and depressed – Stephen Glover Daily Mail
Will Donald Trump destroy US democracy? Unlikely – The Guardian
Truly we now live in The Age Of Trump… and it may be more lasting than many realise – Andrew Neil Daily Mail
Starmer’s worst nightmare is a Trump trade war and US abandoning Ukraine – The i
Will Donald Trump’s win in the US presidential election mean that Volodymyr Zelensky now has to do a deal with Vladimir Putin? – Daily Mail
Today>
Conservatives should ignore some of the embarrassing reactions to Trump’s election
What the Conservative Party should – and should not – take from Trump’s victory
Yesterday>
We will soon see Starmer shaking hands with Trump.
Democrats assess why they lost and who might be to blame
“Sobbing Democrats booed Donald Trump as Kamala Harris conceded the presidential election. Crowds gathered at Howard University, Ms Harris’s alma mater, to hear her address her landslide loss to Trump in Tuesday’s election. “Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory,” she said, to loud jeers from the crowd. Many attendees at her final speech of the election were crying. Ms Harris compared the imminent second Trump presidency to a “dark sky” and said her supporters must act as a “brilliant billion of stars” and continue the fight for justice” – Telegraph
- Down and out. Defeated Kamala Harris tells crying Dem supporters ‘never give up’ as they BOO Trump after his crushing election win – The Sun
- Trump on track to win popular vote as millions of Biden voters desert Harris – Guardian
- Kamala Harris concedes to Donald Trump but urges supporters to ‘never give up’ – FT
- Kamala Harris tells crying fans ‘this is not what we wanted’ as she officially concedes to Trump – Daily Mail
- Joe Biden breaks silence on Kamala Harris’s landslide defeat – Telegraph
- Inside the moments Kamala Harris revealed to Americans she was unfit to be president as Donald Trump sweeps 2024 election – Daily Mail
- The reason Kamala Harris lost – Spectator
- ‘They don’t understand my life’: what the Democrats misread about America – FT
- Biden’s ‘stupidity and selfishness’ sank Kamala, say Democrat donors – Telegraph
- Blue Murder. Dems turning on gaffe-machine Biden as Harris aide brands him ‘the singular reason the Democrats lost’ – The Sun
- Barack and Michelle Obama break silence on Trump’s huge victory – The Express
COMMENT
Democrats join 2024’s graveyard of incumbents – FT
It’s the economy, stupid – of course the Democrats lost – Telegraph
Shadow Chancellor, Mel Stride promises to hold Starmer to account over tax on farmers
“Farmland across Britain is at risk of being turned into net zero forests by foreign corporations because of Sir Keir Starmer’s inheritance tax raid, experts have warned. The decision to tax farmers’ estates is likely to mean that many will sell up – with big businesses that want to offset their carbon footprint expected to be the biggest buyers, according to the Country and Land Business Association. Victoria Vyvyan, president of the CLA, said: “If family farms are forced to sell, the land won’t just go to neighbours. Buyers may include corporations needing carbon offsets, local councils eyeing development, and lifestyle buyers.” – Telegraph
- Tories would reverse Labour’s ‘cruel family farms tax’, says Badenoch – Telegraph
- Labour has broken its pledge to farmers – we will hold it to account – Mel Stride Express
- Labour could lose 59 marginal seats over farmer inheritance taxes – The i
- Keir Starmer has become landlord since moving into No 10 – The Telegraph
- Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves lease their London homes – The Times
- Pensioners to pay ‘retirement tax’ within three years under Labour – The Telegraph
Tuition fees could rise again – as universities warn hike is not enough
“Increasing tuition fees in line with inflation in April will not be “remotely near enough” to prevent university job cuts, the Government has been warned. The news came as Whitehall officials said no decisions have been made on long term funding. Downing Street declined to rule out further fee rises beyond April, saying that longer term plans for higher education funding would be “set out in due course”. On Monday, the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced that tuition fees in England would rise from £9,250 to £9,535 in April, (she) said that the inflation-linked rise was needed to stop institutions going bankrupt…The decision represents a U-turn on a previous pledge from Sir Keir Starmer to scrap fees altogether.” – The i
German coalition government collapses as Scholz sacks his finance minister
“Germany’s coalition government has collapsed after Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister Christian Lindner, plunging the eurozone’s largest economy into political chaos hours after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. Scholz told reporters on Wednesday that he would seek a confidence vote in parliament on January 15, which most observers expect him to lose. That will pave the way for snap elections in March. Lindner’s sacking and the departure of his pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) brings the curtain down on a deeply unpopular coalition that had become a byword for discord and acrimony. It leaves a void at the heart of Europe as concern is growing in EU capitals over what a second Trump presidency will mean for transatlantic relations.” – FT
- Olaf Scholz calls time on Germany’s traffic light coalition – Spectator
- German government on brink of collapse after Scholz sacks finance minister – Guardian
NEWS IN BRIEF
Prepare for the next great Conservative revival – Cap X
Donald Trump’s win marks the beginning of the end of the Ukraine war – Spectator
Why Trump triumphed – The Critic
How Trump could liberate Europe: His isolationism is an opportunity – Unherd
Donald Trump is Ursula von der Leyen’s worst nightmare – Spectator
