Keir Starmer discusses forthcoming trip to US with Donald Trump

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Donald Trump on Thursday night to discuss “his forthcoming visit to the US”, Downing Street has said.

Sir Keir discussed the visit when he met Mark Burnett, Washington’s special envoy to the UK, No 10 revealed.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister was pleased to host President Trump’s special envoy to the United Kingdom, Mark Burnett, at Downing Street last night, during which he took a call from President Trump and discussed his forthcoming visit to the US.”

She added: “Mr Burnett and the Prime Minister agreed on the unique and special nature of the UK-US relationship, the strength of our alliance and the warmth of the connection between the two countries.”

The call from Mr Trump is understood to have been an impromptu one, with a photograph of the meeting posted by the US embassy showing Sir Keir speaking to the president while at the dinner table in 10 Downing Street alongside Mr Burnett and American charge d’affaires, Matthew Palmer.

Sir Keir’s planned trip comes as the UK faces the looming threat of trade tariffs set by the United States.

Mr Trump said he plans to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on all countries who add extra costs to US goods.

The impact of the announcement on the UK was not immediately clear, but the policy published by the White House included VAT as a target for reciprocal tariffs.

The Government has adopted a “wait-and-see” approach to the proposed tax, senior minister Pat McFadden said on Thursday night.

It follows Mr Trump’s announcement he will place tariffs on all goods coming from Mexico, Canada, and China, as well as all steel and aluminium traded into the US from abroad.

Sir Keir is also likely to discuss Ukraine’s future with the US president when he flies across the Atlantic.

However, the readout of the call between the two leaders made no mention of the war-torn nation.

Mr Trump has opened talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin to end its invasion.

His defence secretary Pete Hegseth has indicated European Nato allies should give more aid to Ukraine, and cast doubt on whether Kyiv could join the alliance in the future.

However, Sir Keir has reaffirmed Ukraine is on an “irreversible path” to becoming a member of the alliance, as Britain, its European allies, and Kyiv all insist they should not be left out in the cold as negotiations to end the war begin.

G7 leaders are meeting in Munich, Germany, for a security conference on Friday, where discussion of peace talks has taken centre stage.

Mr Burnett is a British-born television producer who helped Mr Trump launch the US version of The Apprentice reality TV show.

He was appointed special envoy by the US administration in December and is said to have “reflected on his personal connections to the UK, and his mother’s experience working part time in Downing Street as a waitress over 30 years ago” when he visited No 10.

Reports of his visit to Downing Street emerged on Thursday morning, when it was said he was taking part in an “officials-only meeting”.