Trump trouble: Starmer's tricky start to 2026
1/9/202634 min
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had wanted to kick off the new year with a strong domestic start, tackling the cost of living crisis head on, in the hopes of improving his dire poll ratings. Instead, he has found himself firefighting on the international front, trying to navigate Donald Trump’s foreign policy frenzy.
How will Starmer manage his ‘special relationship’ with the US president in light of recent events? Where do Trump’s latest actions leave Nato, especially with regard to Ukraine? And what does all this global uncertainty mean for the Labour leader’s agenda at home?
Host George Parker discusses the balancing act facing the government with the FT’s deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and acting Whitehall correspondent David Sheppard.
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Political Fix was presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth and Julia Webster. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound engineering by Simon Panayi. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsKemi Badenoch· Soundbite0:00
The last few days have seen significant international events, the US operation in Venezuela, threats towards Greenland, and an agreement to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine. So it is frankly astonishing that the prime minister is not making a full statement- Hear, hear. ... to Parliament today.
George Parker· Host0:22
The leader of the opposition there, Kemi Badenoch, laying down the gauntlet for Keir Starmer at the first Prime Minister's Questions of the year. The PM had wanted to kick off 2026 with a strong domestic start in the hopes of improving his dire poll ratings. Instead, Starmer's found himself firefighting on the international stage, trying to navigate Donald Trump's foreign policy frenzy. Charting that special relationship was one of Starmer's calling cards last year, but after the kidnapping of the Venezuelan president, the seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker, and repeated threats to invade Greenland, how does the British prime minister position himself now? And what does all this global uncertainty mean for the Labour leader's agenda here at home? Welcome to Political Fix, with me, George Parker. With me here in the studio to try and work out where Starmer goes from here, the FT's Whitehall editor, David Sheppard...
David Sheppard· Guest1:16
Hi, George.
George Parker· Host1:17
... our UK chief political commentator, Robert Shrimsley...
Robert Shrimsley· Guest1:19
Hello, George.
George Parker· Host1:20
... and our deputy opinion editor, Miranda Green. Hi, Miranda.
Miranda Green· Guest1:23
Hello, George.
George Parker· Host1:25
So it's been quite the start to 2026, and we're only