KEIR Starmer has offered Donald Trump a state visit to the UK, the president-elect’s former senior aide has said.
Rick Gates told the Sunday Mail the Prime Minister had been forced to “eat humble pie” after making an informal offer to Trump during a congratulatory call after he won the US presidential election last week.
The political analyst also revealed his old boss, 78, would likely incorporate a visit to Scotland, where he owns golf courses in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire, but added Trump was unlikely to recognise First Minister John Swinney “from a stick on the ground”.
Labour helped organise for members to fly to the US to campaign for Kamala Harris and it emerged one of Starmer's top advisers met with her team to brief them on Labour's General Election strategy.
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But Gates, who helped Trump to victory over Hilary Clinton in 2016, said: “Keir Starmer was the third call to Donald Trump on election night.”
“He got right out in front of it because he is the Prime Minister and he has to work with Donald Trump now, so he has no choice but to eat humble pie.
“Keir has got to dig himself out of a hole on the election interference story, but an informal offer of a state visit has been made.
“Not much can happen now before Trump is inaugurated. When that happens I think he absolutely will want to come to Scotland.”
Gates said Trump’s son Eric would be over “quite a bit” as the golf developments expand and Trump would be “not shy” about coming to see his properties, suggesting he would likely visit Scotland before London.
He said of opposition to Trump in the UK: “It used to be the tradition for world leaders not to take a side in the elections of other countries but it started to change in 2016 when you had people backing Hillary Clinton.
“Back then it was a surprise victory. This time there were less world leaders willing to stick their neck out. They were the smarter ones. Why the Labour Party decided not to do that is something I am surprised by.”
On Swinney, Gates said: “He doesn’t know John Swinney probably from a stick on the ground right now but he will, he will be briefed, and he is very good at keeping up with who criticises him. He respects people who criticise him and acknowledge it and make amends.”
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Gates spoke after Foreign Secretary David Lammy described his previous criticism of Trump as “old news”.
Lammy tweeted that Trump was “a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath” and a “tyrant” in 2018.
However, in an interview following Trump’s victory, he said the president-elect was "someone that we can build a relationship with in our national interest".
He revealed that he had dinner with Trump recently and found him “a very gracious host”.
Trump ally and Reform Party leader Nigel Farage speculated Trump would be visiting Scotland soon.
He said: “His mum was Scottish and he absolutely loves the country so I would think he will be visiting some time soon. I genuinely think Trump considers Turnberry to be the jewel in the crown of his empire, he absolutely loves it there and he also loves the UK.
“That is why I think it is important this state visit does go ahead and that the Prime Minister negotiates a trade deal between the US and UK.”
Trump has expressed a desire to impose a 20% tariff on goods coming into the US.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said the only way to ease higher US tariffs when Trump returns to the White House in January is for the UK to rejoin the EU single market.
The Scotch Whisky Association said that the 18 months of tariffs placed on the drink by Trump during his last term in office resulted in a £600 million dip in exports for the industry.
Flynn said: “If Trump tariffs become a reality, the only economic security and protection the UK can possibly seek is through rejoining the EU single market and customs union – the largest in the world. That is now the only path to protect our businesses and consumers in the face of deep economic uncertainty and the damage of global protectionism.”
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