LONDON — A Labour government in London would “work with whoever” Americans choose as their president, its leader Keir Starmer said, in his first reaction to Donald Trump’s historic criminal conviction.
Trump was convicted Thursday on all 34 counts of falsifying business records — the first time a former or serving U.S. president has been convicted of a crime. He faces sentencing on July 11 and has called the verdict a “disgrace.”
Starmer, who looks set to become U.K. prime minister in the July 4 election if current polling bears out, made clear that his center-left party is keeping a close eye on the “unprecedented” verdict.
But he vowed to make it work even if it U.S. voters ultimately pick Trump as their next president.
“Obviously we respect the decision of the court, the independent court — there’s a bit of process to go with sentencing and appeal,” Starmer told BBC Radio Scotland. “But we are in an unprecedented situation. There’s no doubt about that.”
The Labour leader added: “Ultimately, whether he’s elected president will be a matter for the American people and, obviously, if we’re privileged to come in to serve, we would work with whoever they choose as their president.
“But there’s no getting away from the fact this is a wholly unprecedented situation.”
Starmer’s party has been building links with senior U.S. Republicans in case it defeats the Tories and the former president makes it back to the White House.
His Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy — in line to be Britain’s top diplomat if Labour wins — has been tempering his longstanding criticism of Trump and has already been winning praise from some Trump allies.
The post Labour’s Keir Starmer: We’d still work with Trump after guilty verdict appeared first on Politico.
