UK Edition
‘What a hell of a victory’ – Joe Biden hails Starmer
US president says there is ‘no doubt’ the special relationship with UK will continue
Joe Biden told Sir Keir Starmer there was “no doubt” the special relationship would continue as he congratulated the Prime Minister on a “hell of a victory”.
The US president said Britain and the US were “working together on just about every issue”, referencing the Aukus security partnership and joint support for Ukraine in a brief clip of their phone call that was released by Downing Street.
“Mr Prime Minister, congratulations – what a hell of a victory,” Mr Biden told Sir Keir from aboard Air Force One on Friday.
The Prime Minister laughed and thanked him, adding: “It’s been a long night and day, I’ve been busy appointing my Cabinet during the course of this afternoon.”
Occasionally glancing down at his notes, he told Mr Biden that he was looking forward to meeting him face-to-face at the Nato anniversary summit next week in Washington, DC. It will mark Sir Keir’s debut on the world stage as Prime Minister.
Mr Biden, who has witnessed four UK prime ministers during his time in office, responded: “I’m looking forward to it as well. There’s no doubt that under your leadership our two countries are going to continue our special relationship.
“We’re working together on just about every issue, supporting Ukraine, managing the competition with China, advancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific with Aukus.”
Sir Keir answered: “The special relationship is obviously the bedrock, always has been, for our defence, for our security and prosperity, which obviously is central to our missions for government.”
A readout from Downing Street shows the pair also discussed their commitment to protecting the Good Friday Agreement – a cause close to the US president’s heart – although this was not included in the edited clip.
Also on Friday, David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, discussed support for Ukraine and bringing about a ceasefire in Gaza with his US counterpart Antony Blinken.
Sir Keir has fielded a number of congratulatory calls from foreign leaders, including Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, to whom the Prime Minister pledged “unwavering commitment”.
Donald Trump, the former US president, who is odds-on to reclaim the White House in November’s election, did not issue a statement on Sir Keir or Labour’s landslide win. However, he congratulated Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, who has previously campaigned on his behalf.
“Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big win of a Parliament seat amid Reform UK election success,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Nigel is a man who truly loves his country.”
Nevertheless, Sir Keir has said he will work with whoever wins the next presidential election, saying Britain’s “historic” relationship with the US was “above the individuals who are in office”.