Starmer and Trump hold White House meeting, as president accepts UK state visit invitation – follow live

Starmer has few Trump cardspublished at 17:08 Greenwich Mean Time

17:08 GMT

Gary O’Donoghue
Senior North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

This is not a partnership of equals.

Bear in mind that America is the most powerful country in the world, Britain is a pretty small country off Europe.

However, British governments since World War Two have believed they can exercise and have exercised influence on the Americans through the so-called special relationship, and that’s what Keir Starmer is going to try to re-kindle today.

He doesn’t have many Trump cards, but he will try to appeal to that history, which is not something Donald Trump particularly cares about. But he also might try to appeal to the shared interests on trade and global security, and on China as an enemy for everyone in the west.

So, there are some buttons Starmer will attempt to press, but he doesn’t come to the White House, frankly, with much to offer. This is why you’ve heard Starmer stress the increase in defence spending, which will and has gone down very well with this administration.