SIR Keir Starmer has put himself in Winston Churchill’s shoes, saying he does not have to choose between the US and Europe.
The Prime Minister insists he will not be taking sides as he seeks to put Britain on the “front foot” on the world stage.
He used a major foreign policy speech last night to channel both Churchill and ex-Labour PM Clement Attlee in being a bridge between the two.
The Prime Minister emphasized that amidst these uncertain times, the notion that the United Kingdom must pick sides between its allies, having to choose between supporting either America or Europe, is completely incorrect and she does not agree with it.
“Attlee did not choose between allies. Churchill did not. The national interest demands we work with both.”
During a speech delivered at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in central London, the Prime Minister also aimed to strengthen the UK’s alliance with the United States in anticipation of Donald Trump assuming office at the White House in the upcoming month.
Concerns have arisen regarding the possibility of the President-elect initiating a trade dispute by levying tariffs on British products, following his implementation of a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico.
But Sir Keir said: “Our relationship with the US has been the cornerstone of our security and prosperity for over a century.
“We will never turn away from that. We call it the special relationship for a reason.”
The PM, who met with Mr Trump in New York in September, added: “This is not about sentimentality. It is about hard-headed realism.
“Time and again the best hope for the world, and the surest way to serve our mutual national interest, has come from our two nations working together.”
The PM also talked up the UK’s “relations with China” — despite Mr Trump threatening to impose 60 per cent tariffs on goods from China.
