Can rivals Trump and Starmer find common ground?

Mr. Rules and Mr. Break the Rules.

Lawyer and person with criminal conviction.

Human rights barrister and ruthless New York real estate tycoon.

To put it mildly, Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump are different characters – and that’s before we even talk about policies.

The Prime Minister’s own colleagues have called him “Mr. Rules” As a way to summarize the essence of his character, what makes him tick.

There is even a name for it that has been used by academics – “the.” jurisprudence of politics” – meaning “reliance on legal and quasi-legal, i.e. rules, norms, conventions, procedures, means, to address substantive matters of public policy.”

The thing is, to put it bluntly, the person now in the Oval Office is the exact opposite of her in almost every single word.

But perhaps, some people think, it shouldn’t be all that exaggerated.

“Most foreign leaders find Trump annoying to some degree,” a close observer told me.

Many believe that the main thing will be to treat the new president in a way that he likes and so the theory is that it could work.

So with long-winded presentations of the minutiae of foreign policy and with ideas that either contribute to his ‘America First’ agenda while also ensuring a win for Britain, or perhaps keep the President in the middle Help cement its place in history in the East or Ukraine. ,

We can expect the Prime Minister to fly to Washington soon to meet President Trump at the White House.

It would mean Sir Keir and Foreign Secretary David Lammy would be able to stop mentioning the chicken dinner they had when they met Trump at New York’s Trump Tower last September. for the first time,

Precisely when Sir Keir finds himself on a plane over the Atlantic, and which leaders are invited before him, will be paying attention – and clearly there are some, such as Georgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister. and Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, who is ideologically much closer to the President than Sir Kiir.

Beyond the symbolism, the timing probably matters less than what comes out of the meeting.

So what could be on the agenda?

Ukraine, trade, defense spending, the Middle East, climate change, the Chagos Islands, to name half a dozen.

Chagos Island is a possible initial flashpoint, or at least a moment of awkwardness.

Britain plans to hand the archipelago in the Indian Ocean – which is home to a joint US/UK military base – to Mauritius put on hold For President Trump to see.

On Ukraine, the UK’s position is clear and was clearly doubled down by the Prime Minister just days before President Trump’s inauguration.

Sir Kiir was in Kyiv for the signing 100 year agreement The country now has a new president taking over, who has promised to end the war very soon, which many think will make Russia look like the winner.

Can President Trump and incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio sell a deal that is widely viewed as bad for Ukraine? And, will Russian President Vladimir Putin be interested in ending this conflict, or hoping to secure more territory?

And on trade, how does Britain avoid the possibility of crippling tariffs, import taxes, being imposed by the US, as President Trump has threatened to do on friends and foes alike?

Here in the UK, government sources talk about “alignment of priorities” between London and Washington to drive our economies forward.

united states belongs to britain largest trading partnerThe UK accounts for about 18% of total trade.

The point is that tariffs could stall any growth and Downing Street will have to hope it can talk the President down.

And if President Trump demands a huge increase in defense spending, can Britain afford it?

Perhaps it could be argued that tariffs would make it harder to pay for defense.

Then there are the views and social media posts of the president’s friend Elon Musk, who has been extremely hostile toward the prime minister for months but softened a bit last week when the government responded to child sexual abuse.

Remember, Sir Keir has the prospect of another state visit from President Trump and the First Lady in his back pocket.

President Trump’s mother was born and raised on the Isle of Lewis – her affection for Britain is genuine, as is her love of the royal family.

Don’t be surprised if the White House gets that invitation sooner or later. The question will be when will that card be played?

It has become predictable to say that President Trump is unpredictable, because that is not only true, but also an understatement.

The world is about to feel different – ​​and that difference starts now.