Trump trouble: Starmer's tricky start to 2026

Trump trouble: Starmer's tricky start to 2026

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had wanted to kick off the new year with a strong domestic start, tackling the cost of living crisis head on, in the hopes of improving his dire poll ratings. Instead, he has found himself firefighting on the international front, trying to navigate Donald Trump’s foreign policy frenzy.


How will Starmer manage his ‘special relationship’ with the US president in light of recent events? Where do Trump’s latest actions leave Nato, especially with regard to Ukraine? And what does all this global uncertainty mean for the Labour leader’s agenda at home?


Host George Parker discusses the balancing act facing the government with the FT’s deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and acting Whitehall correspondent David Sheppard.


Follow George, Miranda, Robert & David


Want more?

Strategic supplication is Europe’s only Trump policy

France and UK commit to deploying troops under proposed Ukraine peace deal

UK armed forces warn of £28bn defence funding shortfall

Greenland’s future must be decided by island and Denmark, Starmer warns Trump

‘Not in my name’: Labour’s new towns battle


And sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter, Inside Politics, for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue-(mostly)-in-cheek analysis.

Get 30 days free.


Political Fix was presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth and Julia Webster. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound engineering by Simon Panayi. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio.


What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com


Clip from UK Parliament

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(573)

Chinese whispers — at home and abroad

Chinese whispers — at home and abroad

Sir Keir Starmer is 5,000 miles away in China, meeting President Xi Jinping to drum up investment and deepen relations, but back on the home front the PM’s leadership looks increasingly beset. Manches...

30 Jan 36min

When the ‘special relationship’ isn’t so special

When the ‘special relationship’ isn’t so special

From ‘brilliant ally’ to ‘weak and stupid’ within the same paragraph, it’s hard to know how to handle the impulsive outbursts from America’s 47th President. And yet, this is the position in which the ...

23 Jan 35min

Disloyalty and defection: the Tory-Reform psychodrama

Disloyalty and defection: the Tory-Reform psychodrama

First he was pushed and then he jumped: high drama at Westminster after Kemi Badenoch sacked her rival for the Tory leadership Robert Jenrick - his crime was plotting a defection to Reform UK. Hours l...

16 Jan 34min

Swamp Notes: Is the US economy really K-shaped?

Swamp Notes: Is the US economy really K-shaped?

Imagine a graph with one line going up over time. Below it, another line does just the opposite. It kind of looks like the letter K. On the FT's Swamp Notes podcast, Claire Jones and Rob Armstrong bre...

2 Jan 19min

Quizmas special: Political Fix’s 2025 nerd-out!

Quizmas special: Political Fix’s 2025 nerd-out!

Can you name all the Labour frontbenchers who resigned or were sacked during the past year? Why was Peter Mandelson delayed from returning to the UK after being sacked as US ambassador? And who will b...

19 Dec 202550min

Political Fix Live: Labour’s year in review

Political Fix Live: Labour’s year in review

It’s been another turbulent year in politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced down rebellions from within his own party, overseen scandals and sackings, and delivered a constant barrage of bad n...

12 Dec 202538min

Deals, donations and damage limitation

Deals, donations and damage limitation

Sir Keir Starmer started the week with not one but two speeches defending his party’s Budget decisions in the wake of claims that chancellor Rachel Reeves had misled the public and fellow MPs about th...

5 Dec 202539min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
motiv
p3-krim
fordomspodden
rss-viva-fotboll
flashback-forever
spar
svenska-fall
aftonbladet-daily
svd-dokumentara-berattelser-2
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-krimstad
rss-vad-fan-hande
rss-krimreportrarna
krimmagasinet
rss-frandfors-horna
olyckan-inifran
dagens-eko
rss-aftonbladet-krim
svd-ledarredaktionen