Starmer-Harris meeting unlikely ahead of US polls

Sir Keir Starmer is unlikely to meet with Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the US presidency, before Americans go to the polls.

The Prime Minister met with Donald Trump when he was in New York in September, and at the time said he wanted to meet both presidential candidates.

But as both campaigns enter the final week ahead of the November 5 poll, and Sir Keir is in Samoa for a Commonwealth summit, it has been accepted the window of opportunity for such a meeting is closing.

Sir Keir’s Labour Party is currently under fire from the Trump-Vance campaign after staff members joined Democrat election efforts.

Mr Trump’s team has filed an official complaint with US federal election authorities, in which they claim the UK Labour Party has “made, and the Harris campaign has accepted, illegal foreign national contributions”.

Senior Labour officials were also said to have met Ms Harris’ campaign staff.

Sir Keir insisted any members of his party were in the US on an entirely voluntary basis in their spare time, comparing the arrangement to similar situations during previous elections.

He also insisted that his relationship with Mr Trump, who could be the next US president following the closely fought race, would not be jeopardised by the incident.

“I spent time in New York with President Trump, had dinner with him, and my purpose in doing that was to make sure that between the two of us we established a good relationship, which we did, and I was very grateful to him for making the time.”

After describing the meeting as a “good, constructive discussion”, Sir Keir added: “Of course as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I will work with whoever the American people return as their president in the elections that are very close now.”

When he travelled to New York in September, Sir Keir had also hoped to meet Ms Harris but was not able to schedule a meeting.