What Donald Trump’s victory means for Britain

The outcome will mean a more complicated outcome for the UK government as Donald Trump is declared winner of the US presidential race.

An important reason for this is: Trump’s unpredictability.

At foreign ministries around the world, including London, the hypothetical game plan for this scenario is now becoming a reality.

The preparations have been completed. But preparation may only go a long way.

How will former north London human rights lawyer Sir Keir Starmer juggle with arrogant New York billionaires?

In terms of personality compatibility, the omens don’t look that good.

What role could Elon Musk, another brash billionaire, play in the Trump administration? Did he goad the Labor government on X over the summer?

It looks like we’re in for another roller coaster ride when it comes to relations with Washington.

We’ve been here before – As I wrote last week Looking back at May’s experience as prime minister during Trump’s first term.

Within the administration, two recent diplomatic successes from the Trump team were cited.

First, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary David Lamy dined with Trump at Trump Tower September in New York.

Sources said Trump rearranged his schedule to make time to meet with Starmer and Lamy, which was seen as a “good gesture” by the incoming president.

Second, the prime minister had an early phone call with Donald Trump shortly after he survived an assassination attempt.

Both opportunities to speak to Trump came about thanks to an impressive diplomatic campaign by the British Embassy in Washington – led by Ambassador Dame Karen Pearce.

People close to the foreign secretary say he has been doing legwork for months, including before the election, to get to know and understand Donald Trump and those around him.

When he visited Washington in May this year, he pointed out in his speech that this was his seventh visit to the U.S. capital in three and a half years.

“I’ve been to the United States more than I’ve been to France. I’ve lived in the United States, I’ve studied in the United States, I have family in the United States. My father is buried in Texas,” he told Audience at the Hudson Institute.

He described Trump as “often misunderstood,” called Vice President-elect Vance “a friend of mine,” and added that “I fully understand the push for an America First agenda…” to this sentence In his inaugural address in January 2017, Trump stated that “every decision… will benefit American workers and American families.”

One man’s outreach and attempts to understand Donald Trump and his success who ever called him “The wigged tyrant”.

But privately there is a recognition that things are unlikely to be smooth sailing.

take recent row A Labor Party staffer made an ill-advised social media post accusing the party of interfering in the US election.

“It just shows that he’s not disclosing his ties to Britain,” one former diplomat told me.

So be prepared for the opposite of smooth — bumpy, loud and deal-making — and look for issues where you can make a deal with Trump, who respects his ability as a dealmaker.

For this reason, we’ve seen Lamy try to understand Donald Trump’s instincts.

There is a recognition that Europe must pay more to fund its own defence.

Understand that U.S. attention is increasingly focused on Asia, not least because, as Lamy puts it, “China’s navy is now the largest in the world, and China’s shipbuilding capacity is 230 times that of the United States.”

Frankly, Europe cares more about Ukraine than the United States does.

“We want the United States to support Kyiv as much as possible, but the differences between Republicans and Democrats should not be exaggerated,” a Whitehall source said.

To some extent: European capitals will express serious concerns, and beyond that, the outcome could put Ukraine at risk.

Add to this the prospect of sky-high import taxes or tariffs, not to mention the hourly explosion of rhetoric on social media.

As a result, current mitigation efforts continue apace: the foreign secretary recently met with Trump’s former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.

The administration has also been cultivating relationships with Robert O’Brien, Donald Trump’s first-term national security adviser, and Elbridge Colby, whom some believe may be his next national security adviser.

But we will soon find out how big a role these preparations play.