Starmer offers ‘hearty congratulations’ to Trump in first call since election win

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Donald Trump and offered “hearty congratulations” in their first conversation since the president-elect’s election win.

The Prime Minister is seeking to build bridges with Mr Trump after the Republican’s campaign filed a legal complaint about Labour activists backing rival Kamala Harris.

Sir Keir congratulated Mr Trump on his “historic victory” after US voters returned him to the White House, Downing Street said.

“The Prime Minister offered his hearty congratulations and said he looked forward to working closely with President-elect Trump across all areas of the special relationship.”

The leaders agreed that the US-UK relationship, from defence and security to growth and prosperity, was “incredibly strong” and “would continue to thrive for many years to come”, No 10 said.

“The leaders fondly recalled their meeting in September and President-elect Trump’s close connections and affinity to the United Kingdom, and looked forward to working with one another.”

Sir Keir also reflected on the situation in the Middle East and underscored the importance of regional stability.