As Donald Trump is announced the new president elect, a new dynamic of the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States looks set to begin.
The UK and the US will once again have leaders from conflicting sides of the political spectrum.
With Labour now arguably facing no choice but to work with Donald Trump whether they support him or not, there are numerous cabinet minsters who had made their stance on Trump clear in the past.
Rachel Reeves
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has shown concerns about a trade deal with the previous Trump administration.
In 2020 a bill was put in the Commons that sought to allow mass-produced chicken, pork and beef into the country as part of a trade deal with the US. This was heavily opposed by British farmers as well as Reeves, and highlights one example of how future trade between the two nations will almost certainly come with strings attached.
Peter Kyle
As Secretary for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle is at the forefront of research and development in the country. With the aim of moving forward he has welcomed potential investment from Elon Musk and insisted on Times Radio he is “ready to engage with him”.
Although Kyle is happy to work with Musk, the science secretary has been critical of Donald Trump. On the last night of Trump’s first presidency, Kyle posted on Twitter that he would wake up the next day knowing ‘the world will become a safer, more hopeful place’.
Lisa Nandy
The Culture Secretary previously accused the last Tory government for ‘blindly following the United States during the Trump years’ and criticised them for not standing up to the president.
However, following Kamala Harris’ claim that labelled Trump as a fascist, the MP for Wigan said she would not use such language to describe the American billionaire.
Nandy said on Times Radio: “You lose the ability to understand one another if you don’t treat each other on a personal level with the utmost respect.” Although there will be clashes on numerous issues, a respectful working relationship between both administrations appears possible.
Steve Reed
Donald Trump accused ‘far left Labour’ of interfering the US election, but it was Environment Secretary Steve Reed who shut down such claims. Reed has disagreed with Trump on various issues ranging from the NHS to Middle Eastern conflicts, and even celebrated Trump’s loss in 2020 by linking it to a Crystal Palace win against Leeds United.
However Reed maintained the special relationship between the UK and the US remains the priority of the government no matter who the American people voted in.
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