U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his personal relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump played a key role in helping Britain secure an exemption from a series of sweeping tariffs announced by Washington.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on the first anniversary of his Labour government’s election, Starmer described the relationship as “good,” despite their markedly different political views. He said cultivating such ties with international leaders was “hugely important” and served the “national interest.”
“We are different people and we’ve got different political backgrounds and leanings, but we do have a good relationship and that comes from a number of places,” Starmer said.
The prime minister added that he had developed an understanding of “what anchors the president” and “what he really cares about,” noting that shared values such as the importance of family had helped create a point of connection between them.
Starmer revealed that Trump had personally called to offer his condolences following the death of his younger brother, Nick Starmer, on Boxing Day. He said the two leaders had previously spoken when Trump was shot at a rally in July last year, a conversation focused largely on how the incident had affected Trump’s family.
“That was a phone call really to ask him how it was, and in particular I wanted to know how it impacted on his family,” Starmer told the broadcaster.
Starmer credited this personal rapport with Trump as a factor in Britain being spared from the full impact of recent U.S. tariffs. He said the exemption benefited several U.K. industries and would contribute to easing economic pressures at home.
The prime minister also spoke about his relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron, recalling how a conversation “over a glass of wine” on a train to Kyiv had laid the groundwork for a new agreement with the European Union. He claimed the deal would lead to lower food prices in British supermarkets.
“That is a good thing for millions of people across the country,” Starmer said.
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