UK PM Keir Starmer speaks to Trump ahead of US visit

London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had an impromptu phone conversation with President Donald Trump during a meeting with his Special Envoy to the UK in London and ahead of a proposed visit to the US later this month.

According to his 10 Downing Street office, Starmer spoke to Trump during his meeting with Mark Burnett on Thursday evening. His planned visit to Washington, the dates of which are yet to be officially confirmed, is expected to cover a wide range of issues including trade, tariffs, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

“The Prime Minister was pleased to host President Trump’s Special Envoy to the United Kingdom, Mark Burnett, at Downing Street last night, during which he took a call from President Trump and discussed his forthcoming visit to the US,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

“Mr Burnett and the Prime Minister agreed on the unique and special nature of the UK-US relationship, the strength of our alliance and the warmth of the connection between the two countries,” the spokesperson said.

Burnett is said to have also reflected on his personal connections to the UK, including his mother’s experience working part-time in Downing Street as a waitress over 30 years ago. “They emphasised the huge potential for even stronger collaboration on trade, tech and cultural matters between the US and the UK and looked forward to working together,” the spokesperson added.

The meeting comes at a crucial juncture for bilateral relations, with reports of Trump wanting to include value-added tax (VAT) to calculate potential “reciprocal tariffs”, casting a shadow over economic ties.

Some trade experts suggest that tariffs of 20 per cent or more could be placed on the UK as well as the European Union (EU) after the White House said that it would look at the “unfair, discriminatory, or extraterritorial taxes imposed by our trading partners on the United States businesses, workers, and consumers, including a value-added tax.” All eyes will be on Starmer’s first visit to the US following Trump’s inauguration for a second presidential term last month.

Earlier, he had paid tribute to the American President for his role in securing a “landmark” Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza in his first official phone conversation with Trump. The phone call came soon after Trump told reporters that he thought Starmer has "done a very good job" so far.

Starmer has previously met Trump for a private dinner at Trump Tower in New York in September 2024, after the Labour Party won the general election in July 2024 and ahead of the Republican nominee’s election as US President.