Photo by Leif Christoph Gottwald on Unsplash
Keir Starmer’s handling of relations with the United States has been left in tatters in recent days and is becoming increasingly out of step with reality. As Donald Trump’s America becomes increasingly hostile to enemies and allies alike, Starmer continues to treat Washington as if it were a stable, rules-based ally.
America today is not a reliable anchor of democracy or global order. It is a deeply divided state, flirting with authoritarianism, weaponising its economic dominance, and willing to bully its allies to serve its own interests. Britain’s refusal to confront reality has left it exposed, with the added failure of Brexit making the situation worse.
Under Trump, tariffs are political weapons, security guarantees are framed as conditional favours, international law is dismissed when inconvenient, and allies are treated not as partners but as liabilities that can be exploited. Although this has arguably been happening throughout Trump’s second term, it has become ever clearer in light of the unfolding situation in Greenland.
Britain’s response so far has been muted; tactics such as inviting Trump to a second state visit, presenting gifts, and generally appeasing have failed to produce results.
Trump’s recent comments on the Chagos Islands show even more clearly that this new America is not on our side. At a moment when the UK should be presenting a unified position in the face of US pressure, Trump’s intervention exploits existing divisions within British politics. Disagreements between parties over the future of the Chagos Islands create an opening for Trump to undermine Britain’s stance and allow an already fractured political space to widen.
Furthermore, this vulnerability to the US is also deeply connected to Brexit. Outside the European Union, Britain no longer negotiates as part of a powerful economic bloc but alone. This matters as when the US threatens tariffs, the EU can respond collectively, whilst the UK cannot. Britain’s economy is simply not large enough to absorb US pressure without damage.
Brexit supporters promised freedom and strength. In reality, Brexit stripped Britain of its greatest source of leverage. Now, the UK is in a position where it must choose between submitting to the US or facing economic harm.
If Britain wants any leverage, it must rebuild its power, and that means closer ties with Europe. Greater alignment with the EU would give the UK access to collective trade and defence, greater shared diplomatic pressure, and a bloc far more capable of standing up to American bullying.
Whilst rejoining the EU may be politically difficult, the logic behind it is increasingly hard to ignore. At a minimum, deep reintegration into trade, regulation, foreign policy, and defence would strengthen Britain. Alone in the face of the US, the UK is weak, but with Europe, it has options.
America is no longer the world’s democratic guardian, and Starmer must decide whether Britain’s future lies in clinging to a failing and hostile superpower or helping to build a stronger European counterbalance that can defend shared values. One path leads to repeated humiliation, whilst the other at least offers the possibility of dignity in an ever more dangerous world.
