Donald Trump yesterday told Keir Starmer to cut taxes and stop the boats if he wants to defeat Nigel Farage.
The US President offered Sir Keir his ‘simple’ formula for defeating the Reform leader – now riding high in the polls – at an extraordinary joint press conference in Scotland.
But he warned it would mean cutting taxes, which Labour has raised to the highest level in modern history.
And he said Labour would have to cut Britain’s ‘ruinous’ immigration, including ending the Channel crisis to prevent thousands of ‘bad people’ entering the country illegally.
The unsolicited advice came during a chaotic event in front of the TV cameras at Mr Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire, at which Sir Keir was repeatedly left squirming.
President Trump criticised his focus on wind energy as ‘disastrous’ – and described Labour’s London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan as a ‘nasty person’.
Mr Trump told Sir Keir that ‘politics is pretty simple’ as he offered him advice on how to emerge on top in ‘the thing going on between you and Nigel [Farage]’.
He added: ‘Generally speaking, the one who cuts taxes the most, the one who gives you the lowest energy prices, the best kind of energy, the one that keeps you out of wars… a few basics… And in your case a big immigration component.’
In a wide-ranging and chaotic press conference the president gave his ‘friend’ Sir Keir tips about how to beat Reform UK
The unsolicited advice was delivered in front of the TV cameras at Mr Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire and repeatedly left Sir Keir squirming
The president advised his ‘not too liberal’ friend to cut taxes and roll back ‘ruinous’ levels of immigration if he wanted to beat Nigel Farage at the next election
Mr Trump, a long-time friend of Mr Farage, said he liked both men, adding: ‘I think the one that’s toughest and most competent on immigration is going to win the election, but then you add… low taxes, and you add the economy.
‘[Sir Keir] did a great thing with the economy, because a lot of money is going to come in because of the [US trade] deal that was made. But I think that immigration is now bigger than ever before.’
Almost 20,000 people crossed the Channel illegally in the first six months of this year – a rise of 50 per cent on the same period in 2024.
Mr Trump, who put border control at the heart of his winning election campaign last year, warned that the level of migration to the UK was ‘ruinous’.
He warned that the small boats crossing the Channel were usually ‘loaded up with bad people… because other countries don’t send their best, they send people that they don’t want.
‘This is a magnificent part of the world, and you cannot ruin it, you cannot let people come here illegally’.
On a day of high-level talks:
■ Sir Keir said the British public are ‘revolted’ by the scenes of desperate hunger in Gaza, as he prepared for an emergency briefing of the Cabinet this afternoon on a ‘peace plan’ which will put Britain on the road to recognising a Palestinian state.
■ President Trump pledged action to ‘get the children fed’ in Gaza, saying: ‘That’s real starvation stuff… you can’t fake that’;
■ Mr Trump set a new deadline of ‘ten to 12’ days for Vladimir Putin to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine;
■ He warned against the Government’s inheritance tax raid on farmers, saying he had scrapped similar plans in the US following a string of suicides;
■ He praised King Charles, and spoke of his love of the UK and enthusiasm for a September state visit;
■ Mr Trump savaged Labour’s obsession with wind farms, saying the UK was paying ‘massive subsidies to have these ugly monsters all over the place’.
Mr Trump, a long-time friend of Mr Farage, said he liked both men, adding: ‘I think the one that’s toughest and most competent on immigration is going to win the election, but then you add… low taxes, and you add the economy’
President Trump pledged action to ‘get the children fed’ in Gaza, saying: ‘That’s real starvation stuff… you can’t fake that’
Demonstrators gathered near Trump International Golf to voice opposition to the U.S. President ahead of his scheduled visit to the golf course in Balmedie
Yesterday’s talks came during a ‘private’ four-day trip to Scotland during which Mr Trump has held meetings with a number of leading political figures while visiting his two golf courses in the country.
In a highly unusual encounter, Mr Trump effectively acted as host to Sir Keir in his own country, with the PM forced to make a 400-mile pilgrimage to Scotland to build on an unlikely ‘bromance’.
An hour-long press conference was humiliating at times for the PM. During one excruciating exchange, Mr Trump said Sir Sadiq was a ‘nasty person’ who had done a ‘terrible job’.
Sir Keir also had to endure a public lecture on the importance of cutting taxes, which Mr Trump said was key to UK growth – and Labour’s electoral fortunes.
Referring to Sir Keir, who raised taxes by a record £40billion last year and is expected to raise them again in the autumn, he added: ‘The Prime Minister hasn’t been here very long. I think he will be a tax cutter.’
Government sources last night insisted that the trip had proved worthwhile as Sir Keir tries to galvanize international action behind a plan to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
A source said President Trump was ‘very forward leaning on getting aid in’. No 10 was also cheered by Mr Trump’s warm language towards Sir Keir.
Later Sir Keir flew with Mr Trump in Air Force One from Glasgow airport to a private dinner in Aberdeen.
They were due to land at RAF Lossiemouth, because Aberdeen airport’s runway is too short for the 747.
