An under-siege Keir Starmer is facing a showdown with Donald Trump over “free speech” in the UK, which could derail crucial talks during the US president’s state visit.
Senior Washington sources have told The Independent that free speech is now top of the president’s agenda when he visits Chequers on Thursday for talks with the prime minister at the end of his trip.
The issue could derail hopes by the UK government to get a deal to remove steel tariffs and will take up time they want to use to discuss the increasingly complex picture on the international stage, given the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
It will not, though, wreck an expected announcement on a major new tech partnership between the two countries, partly because insiders claim “Trump needs Britain to succeed”.
And on Monday, Sir Keir will reveal a “landmark” deal to boost the building of nuclear plants in both countries, to be signed during Trump’s visit.
But the prime minister is now facing the talks without his key man after sacking Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US on Friday over revelations about his relationship with the disgraced former financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
He is also facing increased pressure from within his own party. The Times reported that Sir Keir has been warned by Labour MPs that he is in “last-chance saloon”. One minister told the outlet that the Mandelson scandal was like a “death knell” for Sir Keir.
The president lands on Tuesday evening with the UK government in chaos and in danger of imploding. Sir Keir will be looking for help from President Trump to provide him with a boost.
He is due at events with King Charles at Windsor Castle including a gun salute, and a carriage procession through the estate accompanied by the Household Cavalry.
The president is also due to lay a wreath at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who he revered, and the events will end with a state banquet hosted by the King.
On Thursday, President Trump and his wife Melania will say farewell to the Royal family and head to Chequers for talks with the prime minister, with trade, future relationship between the two countries, international affairs and free speech all on the agenda.
A source close to Trump revealed to The Independent that he “berated Keir Starmer over free speech” when the two held talks during the summer at the US president’s Turnberry golf resort.
The source said: “There is absolutely no doubt that free speech is going to be one of, if not the top issue, when the two hold talks.”
After the far right “Unite the Kingdom” march over the weekend, rows over the imprisonment of former childcare worker Lucy Connolly over her tweet calling for migrant hotels to be burnt down, and the arrest of comedy writer Graham Linehan by five armed police officers at Heathrow Airport after flying in from America, the state of free speech in the UK is now considered a major US concern.
There was already anger in the US at the impact of the UK’s Online Safety Act, and recent evidence presented in Congress by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, calling for the administration to punish Britain over free speech attacks, has “inflamed the issue”, one source said.
The Trump administration and people in the Maga movement do not believe people should be criminalised for transphobic, racist or extremist tweets, and many Americans consider far-right leader Tommy Robinson a “political prisoner”, even though he committed a crime.
Previously, The Independent revealed how Vice-President JD Vance wanted guarantees on free speech to be part of the trade deal with the UK.
Vance and other members of the administration have also objected to protections for abortion clinics in the UK, including the arrest of anti-abortion activists praying outside.
A Washington insider with close links to the administration added that the row over free speech in the UK had now become a major talking point in US politics, which is unusual because foreign issues rarely do.
They said: “Free speech is getting traction as Americans learn more and more about what is happening in your country. I attended a dinner on Monday and it was a major topic of discussion.
“It is a major concern with DC opinion elites, members of the press and White House staff.”
One figure pushing the agenda is former Tory prime minister Liz Truss, who has a much more receptive audience in Washington than she does in the UK.
Ahead of the state visit, new business secretary Pete Kyle, who has just returned from talks in Washington, insisted that the march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson over the weekend underlined “proof that we live in a country where free speech, free association, is alive and well”.
The message is set to be repeated to the president on Thursday when the subject comes up, with Sir Keir proving at previous meetings that he is unafraid of challenging Mr Trump over claims on free speech during live press conferences.
But the one card Sir Keir has to play, according to one Trump ally, is that “the White House really needs the UK to succeed”.
They added: “Other countries like France are failing while Germany does not particularly want to be friends, so it is very important for Trump that Starmer does not fail. You will see some economic help and investment this week as a result.”
Downing Street has said that the visit will in fact underline that “the UK-US relationship is the strongest in the world, built on 250 years of history… one parallel to trade, cultural events and securities collaboration, and there is no relationship that delivers more for the British working people.”
They have pointed out that for decades, the United States and the United Kingdom have “stood shoulder to shoulder, and fought side by side”.
“Our special relationship has evolved into one of the most enduring alliances in modern history, rooted in shared values, friendship, mutual trust and belief in the rule of law [and] democracy.”
They said that the so-called special relationship “will reach new heights on the state’s visit this week… This is a partnership that is putting money in the pockets of hard-working people every day, creating jobs, driving growth and protecting national security.
“The two [countries] already have £1.2 trillion invested in each other’s economies [including] sectors [ranging] from financial services to energy, defence and technology.”
The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy to be announced on Monday will enable deals between US and UK companies, making it quicker for companies to build nuclear power stations by cutting red tape.
This could help clear the way for a major expansion of nuclear projects in Britain as part of the government’s drive to produce clean energy.
