'He's a decent man': What Washington think of Keir Starmer

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]I think um the prime minister is constrained somewhat by the UK laws and um in terms of certainly our military action and use of bases and I think he followed followed those laws and it you know it upset uh the president. It upset a lot of Americans um because our air crews then had to fly uh 35ish hours uh in the initial stages of of the attack.

[00:00:28]But you know overall I give the prime minister a lot of a lot of high grades for how he's dealt with Washington.

[00:00:36]>> How does he compare with the king as a kind of intermediary between our countries?

[00:00:40]>> Well, there's no compar comparing the prime minister to the king. But the the king is your sovereign and the president frankly loves the royal family, loves the king, loved the late queen. So, um it's uh um you know, the king's the king.

[00:01:03]>> King's the king. Uh early on in his relationship with President Trump, uh it seemed to be warmer. Uh Trump described Kostar as a friend. there seemed to be a genuine kind of relationship going on there and it soured quite quite dramatically partly over tariffs and partly over the Iran war where the prime minister has said basically his greatest achievement is keeping Britain out of that war.

[00:01:26]>> How much has that stung in Washington?

[00:01:29]>> Well, as I was saying, I think um you know it's it it stung. uh we we weren't uh asking for the UK to join us, but we were asking to use bases that that are somewhat joint bases.

[00:01:43]>> And um but you know, the president uh the president has has said some things that I think he has, you know, he he felt very deeply and um and I know the prime minister feels the same way. Um on the other side >> we have very very different uh political systems. Of course looking from Washington how do you think the president what do you think the president will make of the sort of chaos that's going on here? It comes from a parliamentary system. It's a very different system. It's confusing even to us. How does it look to Washington?

[00:02:17]>> Well I don't really know how it looks to to Washington. I think the president has said in the past that he hopes the UK will uh change its integr uh uh immigration and um energy policies but I don't know if that will happen or not.

[00:02:33]>> Do you believe that um the energy policies in particular are keeping Britain out of the AI revolution which is going to completely change the economies of all western countries? I think it's going to hurt um because data centers consume enormous amounts of power and you have tremendous research that goes on in this country. So you have a lot of assets but the ultimate the the data centers um as it relates to AI uh need uh reliable power and they need it as cheaply as they can get it. Is there a certain amount of American naivity about our situation? However, where particularly around fracking for instance, we are a much much more densely populated country, a small archipelago. You've got Texas. It's very very different here.

[00:03:21]>> No, I don't think we're being naive at all. I mean, we we frack uh all over the country. We're fracking in Ohio. We're fracking in Pennsylvania. We frack around Fort Worth, Texas. Um you can do it. Um, and I think, um, I would hope the UK would do it, but I don't I don't think that's going to >> happen anytime soon.

[00:03:40]>> I must return to what's going on here now, if you don't mind, because we could be quite close to having another prime minister. Now, I know you want want to intervene in British politics at all, but what would it do to the special relationship to do to have a change of prime minister?

[00:03:54]>> You know, I think the special relationship goes on regardless of who our political leaders are. and and I've seen that since I've been in this chair uh the chair of of the ambassador and um the day-to-day work between our companies, between our intelligence communities, between our militaries, it it goes on and I think that will go on regardless of of what who the political leaders are. What about the instability aspect of it though? We've had four prime ministers here in four years. Does that make it harder for Washington, for instance, to deal with the UK? I >> I don't really I I I don't really think so. I think um the the policies don't really change that much if as long as the party in power is still in power. Um but um certainly the ability to to have personal relationships matters and and to the extent that there's uh frequent turnover, >> that's a problem.

[00:04:54]>> That's a problem. And what about the investment aspect of it? I I know your background is in investment. Um and there's a certain amount of market turmoil going on today already, but how much do you think the political um fast political changes then affect the investment atmosphere, the investment climate on which the UK partly depends?

[00:05:14]Markets don't like uncertainty and and to the extent there's uncertainty in the market, I I haven't looked at any of the financial markets today, but I suspect that's what's going on is they're un they're uncertain as to what's going to be the outcome and markets don't markets don't like that.

[00:05:31]>> How much did the the Peter Mandlesson affair damage the UK in the eyes of the uh Washington?

[00:05:37]>> You know, I don't really think it damaged the UK in the eyes of of Washington. It's unfortunate. uh that that that that has happened. But it did it probably did have an effect on our relationship because it then took a long time to get um Mandlesson's replacement uh in DC >> and that again has an effect because it's all personal relations.

[00:06:01]>> Yes.

[00:06:02]>> Let me just return to what we were talking about a moment ago which is the energy issue. Um I know that you have been very keen to see a change in British energy policy and you've been talking to minister. Have you seen any sign that there might be a change coming? No, not really. Um I think um but but I I do think there will be well there is a little bit. Let me I'll back up. There there is a little bit. I think certain people in the government would would would be open to um some additional drilling in the North Sea. uh exactly what that is. Uh I'm I'm I'm not sure >> because of the uh the crisis consequent on the Iran war.

[00:06:43]>> I think it actually started before before that. Um the war probably has accelerated that that thinking. I don't I don't know that. Um but I I think you know there tremendous shale gas reserves on shore in the UK that that could be um safely drilled and produced and it's a lot it's a lot of shale gas that could that could significantly drive down uh energy cost in the UK.

[00:07:12]>> And if we did that would that make it likelier that American companies particularly AI companies would come and invest here?

[00:07:19]>> Make it more likely >> for sure. Um, I mean, what what we're seeing in the US is is um relatively cheap power, relatively cheap land. You don't have cheap land >> and they're they're big, but you do have great research and um, you know, if your energy costs are reasonable, I think I think uh, American companies would be willing to come do that. Ambassador, let me ask you about one other issue which I know has caused a lot of concern in the United States, which is the rise in anti-semitic attacks and anti-semitic expressions in the UK. Now, you have a bit of that going on in your country as well, but how concerned are you about the the condition of British jewelry at the moment? I worry about it a lot. Um, I think it both in the US and the UK, the level of anti-semitism, um, when it first came up in the US, uh, I was more aware of it there. Uh, I was quite surprised. Um, and you you you wonder how did we how did we get to this point? And it really seemed to start in the universities and and the protests at the universities.

[00:08:30]How did we get to this point? and and I'm not really sure but but we are uh you know at a at a point where I know the president um you know the president has an appointed confirmed person who's all he does is focus on anti-semitism around the world but particularly in Britain. Do you think that we're doing enough?

[00:08:52]>> I think you're starting to do enough. I mean I think uh these last these last attacks uh have galvanized the government. U prime minister uh said it was going to be a whole of government approach. Maybe even said a whole of society approach but I I can't remember that. I know it was a whole of government approach and I and I think that's needed. Um there there's just not that much there's there's no reason for that and inevitably I come back to where we are now. A lot of people think the prime minister will be no longer in office by the end of this week. Would the president be sad to see him go?

[00:09:27]>> I think it would probably be who who replaces him. I I can tell you this. I'd be sad to see him go. I get along with him fine. We don't always agree obviously. Um but but um I like him and I think he's a he's a very very good and decent man. And in terms of all the people listening to LBC who are feeling very down about Britain at the moment, very worried about the way we're going, you know, we don't uh relatively weak economy, confusing political leadership.

[00:09:55]Any words of advice? The UK is an incredibly strong company and the people are very strong and I have no doubt that they'll get this sorted out um and and and get back to the way the people want it to be. And I think um the the economy and you know this is all seems to be related and it's not energy the economy cost of living um they're they're they're all related but you have in your power the ability to do something different and I think you will a glint of optimism on the horizon.

[00:10:36]>> Oh I think more than a glint. You know, it's the UK's UK's been a shining light around the world for a long