Can opposites Trump and Starmer find common ground?

Mr Guidelines and Mr Break The Guidelines.

The Lawyer and the person with the prison conviction.

The human rights barrister and the brash New York actual property tycoon.

To place it gently, Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump are quite totally different characters – and that’s earlier than we even get on to speaking about insurance policies.

The prime minister’s personal colleagues have referred to as him “Mr Rules” as a means of summing up the essence of his character, what makes him tick.

There’s even a reputation for this that lecturers have used – “the juridifcation of politics” – which means “a reliance upon authorized and quasilegal, i.e. guidelines, norms, conventions, procedures, means to deal with substantive issues of public coverage.”

The factor is, to state the plain, the person now within the Oval Workplace is the polar reverse on just about each single phrase of that.

However maybe, some ponder, all this should not be overstated.

“Most overseas leaders annoy Trump to some extent,” one shut observer instructed me.

The important thing, many consider, will likely be coping with the brand new president in a means that he likes and, so the idea goes, may match.

So out with long-winded shows of overseas coverage trivia and in with concepts that both contribute to his ‘America First’ agenda, whereas securing wins for the UK too, or assist the President cement his place in historical past maybe within the Center East or Ukraine.

We will count on the prime minister to fly to Washington fairly quickly to satisfy President Trump on the White Home.

It’ll imply Sir Keir and International Secretary David Lammy will have the ability to cease always referring again to the hen dinner they’d at Trump Tower in New York in September of final 12 months after they met Trump for the first time.

Exactly when Sir Keir finds himself on a airplane over the Atlantic, and which leaders are invited earlier than him, will likely be pored over – and there are clearly some, resembling Georgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy and the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, who’re ideologically a lot nearer to the president than Sir Keir will ever be.

The timing in all probability issues much less, past the symbolism, than what comes out of the assembly.

So what might discover itself on the agenda?

Ukraine, commerce, defence spending, the Center East, local weather change, the Chagos Islands, to call half a dozen.

The Chagos Islands is a possible early flashpoint, or not less than second of awkwardness.

The UK’s plan handy over the archipelago within the Indian Ocean – which is residence to a joint US/UK army base – to Mauritius has been put on hold for President Trump to try.

On Ukraine, the UK’s posture is evident and was pointedly doubled down on by the prime minister simply days earlier than President Trump’s inauguration.

Sir Keir was in Kyiv to signal a 100-year pact with the nation at simply the purpose a brand new president takes workplace who has promised to finish the conflict in a short time, which many assume would depart Russia wanting just like the victor.

May President Trump and incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio promote a deal broadly seen as dangerous for Ukraine? And, would Russian President Vladimir Putin have an interest within the battle ending now, or hope to hold on to safe extra territory?

And on commerce, how does the UK keep away from the potential of crippling tariffs, import taxes, being imposed by America, as President Trump has threatened to do on buddies and foes alike?

Authorities sources right here within the UK speak up what they see as “the alignment of priorities” between London and Washington on getting our economies rising.

The US is the UK’s largest trading partner, accounting for almost 18% of whole UK commerce.

The factor is tariffs might scupper any development and Downing Avenue should hope that it could speak the president out of them.

And if President Trump calls for huge will increase in defence spending, can the UK afford it?

Maybe an argument will be made that tariffs would make paying for defence more durable.

Then there are the ideas and social media posts of the president’s good friend Elon Musk, which have been extraordinarily hostile in direction of the prime minister for months, solely easing mildly final week when the federal government set out its response to youngster sexual exploitation.

In Sir Keir’s again pocket, keep in mind, is the prospect of one other state go to for President Trump and the First Girl.

President Trump’s mum was born and grew up on the Isle of Lewis – his affection for the UK is real, as is his love of the Royal Household.

Do not be stunned if that invite will get delivered to the White Home eventually. The query will likely be when does that card get performed?

It has develop into a predictable to say that President Trump is unpredictable, as a result of it’s not solely true, however an understatement.

The world goes to really feel quite totally different – and that distinction begins now.