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Original poster

The Brits are SO smart.

492 replies

MsAmerica · 28/02/2025 00:37

Playing Trump like a fiddle, knowing his weakness for flattery and star power. Starmer begins by presenting a letter of invitation from Charles III.

Donald Trump given letter from King Charles on Ukraine war with special 'unprecedented' invite
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/donald-trump-given-letter-from-king-charles-on-ukraine-war-with-special-unprecedented-invite/ar-AA1zVHbC

UK Prime Minister Starmer Presents Trump With An Invitation From King Charles For A State Visit: "This Is Really Special"
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/02/27/uk_prime_minister_starmer_presents_trump_with_an_invitation_from_king_charles_for_a_state_visit_this_is_really_special.html

OP posts:
AnonymousBleep · 28/02/2025 10:52

Imbusytodaysorry · 28/02/2025 10:39

Good point

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That very much depends how many rare minerals Ukraine actually has. If Zelenskyy's offering him half of fuck all, and playing Trump who thinks he's playing him, then good for him.

Linens · 28/02/2025 10:51

The Chagos deal is madness. It was advisory! The Mauritians are not our particular friends! There is literally no upside whatsoever for Brits to do this and no compulsion either. In very stable times when the economy is flourishing then yes perhaps we could do it and garner a weeny bit of soft power in the form of respect but this is desperate times.
Sack off the deal and sell Chagos to the US. Use some of the money to compensate the Chagossians and the rest on defence.

bombastix · 28/02/2025 10:51

EasternStandard · 28/02/2025 10:46

@bombastix no it's not legally binding that's the point

It was advisory. We don't have to do it

Was the point that the UK had no further credible legal arguments to say why it did not agree? I think so, which the Conservatives accepted back in 2019. It may suit people latterly to say well we don't have to do it, but in effect, we do have to settle

Umbilicat · 28/02/2025 10:50

dutysuite · 28/02/2025 10:46

Agree!

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I don't agree, I don't think Trump remembers anything except the last conversation he's had with whoever - so an invite from the King will trump (sorry) any remarks any Labour politician made in the past

AnonymousBleep · 28/02/2025 10:50

AgnesX · 28/02/2025 10:48

So, not exactly "special" .....

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More "toxic" or even "abusive".

EasternStandard · 28/02/2025 10:49

@Rummly exactly

I think it's because Starmer is excited he's beaten Badenoch and that's more important than taxpayers

It's madness. It's billions

Rummly · 28/02/2025 10:48

EasternStandard · 28/02/2025 10:43

@bombastix I know you're for Labour but would you really want billions to go on the Chagos deal over foreign aid to help others or military kit for U.K.?

I suspect that Trump’s view of the Chagos deal is quiet amusement. The UK pays through the nose; the US gets to keep an important military base for 100 years. And Trump just thinks that if it came down to it at some point in the future, the US would just override by force any attempt to eject or limit the US base.

I still can’t for the life of me understand why we’re paying a penny for this.

AgnesX · 28/02/2025 10:48

AnonymousBleep · 28/02/2025 10:37

It's not really just politics. Our security and defence is so tied up with theirs that we're fucked if they turn on us. We're America's bitch.

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So, not exactly "special" .....

dutysuite · 28/02/2025 10:46

spuddy4 · 28/02/2025 04:17

Interesting how people perceive things differently. I saw it as an embarrassing, desperate move because Starmer knows Trump doesn't think much of the UK and the special relationship the two countries once had is long gone. I don't think for one moment Trump will forget the comments that various Labour MPs have made about him. It's just mind games and they are all playing each other.

Agree!

EasternStandard · 28/02/2025 10:46

@bombastix no it's not legally binding that's the point

It was advisory. We don't have to do it

bombastix · 28/02/2025 10:45

EasternStandard · 28/02/2025 10:43

@bombastix I know you're for Labour but would you really want billions to go on the Chagos deal over foreign aid to help others or military kit for U.K.?

As I understand it, we do not have a choice legally but to make such a deal to settle. It's not really something I want the UK to do - but we lost.

EasternStandard · 28/02/2025 10:43

@bombastix I know you're for Labour but would you really want billions to go on the Chagos deal over foreign aid to help others or military kit for U.K.?

Alondra · 28/02/2025 10:42

MsAmerica · 28/02/2025 00:37

Playing Trump like a fiddle, knowing his weakness for flattery and star power. Starmer begins by presenting a letter of invitation from Charles III.

Donald Trump given letter from King Charles on Ukraine war with special 'unprecedented' invite
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/donald-trump-given-letter-from-king-charles-on-ukraine-war-with-special-unprecedented-invite/ar-AA1zVHbC

UK Prime Minister Starmer Presents Trump With An Invitation From King Charles For A State Visit: "This Is Really Special"
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/02/27/uk_prime_minister_starmer_presents_trump_with_an_invitation_from_king_charles_for_a_state_visit_this_is_really_special.html

Trump is a clown. A man without the intellectual or cognitive capabilities to be the US president. He's just a front for the multinationals running the US. If you think those multinationals care about monarchy,, pomp and ceremony, you're living in Disney World.

bombastix · 28/02/2025 10:41

@Bluebellwood129 - do you want to tell Kemi Badenoch that?

The point about Trump is he all about "team me". His start and end point. There have been some silly ideas by Conservatives and Reform that he has ideological sympathy with them.

In that sense, Starmer's "invite" was a good appeal to Trump. All of our work with the US should take that on board.

The UK team did a great job.

Imbusytodaysorry · 28/02/2025 10:39

user1471466513 · 28/02/2025 08:24

So, we have ended up paying for Ukraine's security and sending our soldiers to peacekeeping, while America walks away with Ukraine's rare minerals, and you think we've played him?

Good point

AnonymousBleep · 28/02/2025 10:38

TheCatsTongue · 28/02/2025 10:12

Did Russia also pay to get Labour elected at the last election? Russia seem to always be interfering.

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They're probably interfering to get Reform elected. Farage would be the dream for them. They won't want Labour or any vaguely organised or left-leaning govermnment.

EasternStandard · 28/02/2025 10:37

Re Chagos

Trump doesn't care. I do!

It's our taxpayer money. Huge quantities of it that could be spent on idk some good defence kit or to helping stop illness spread or girls' education o/s.

We're slashing foreign instead or it could go to new military stuff which we need.

All because politicians need to win and feel happy Trump said ok.

Madness. Every taxpayer should think do I want to cough up these billions for no need.

Bluebellwood129 · 28/02/2025 10:37

bombastix · 28/02/2025 10:27

I think there are some sour grapes here because some on the right in the UK expected the US president to debag the UK PM publicly about Chagos which did not happen and makes them look rather unimportant.

I think most people are intelligent enough to know that was never going to happen.

AnonymousBleep · 28/02/2025 10:37

AgnesX · 28/02/2025 07:14

I do think Westminster is deluding itself with this one. It's all just politics ie words

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It's not really just politics. Our security and defence is so tied up with theirs that we're fucked if they turn on us. We're America's bitch.

TyotyaKlava · 28/02/2025 10:35

Mielikki · 28/02/2025 08:12

The economic cooperation will consist of “we aren’t going to slap you with massive tariffs”. Nothing more.

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I’ll take it in these circumstances

trivialMorning · 28/02/2025 10:34

I thought this was the entire point of the RF in modern world - to HRH them.

Obviously late Queen was master at it - but still we keep them for a reason.

I think we are usually more subtle and less public about it - not things that are generally assocaited with Trump. Macron had to rely on personal charm - which I think Stammer would have really struggled with TBH - so good he has the backup.

sparrowflewdown · 28/02/2025 10:34

upinaballoon · 28/02/2025 10:32

Camilla can wink both eyes at Trumple when/if he comes.

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Oligarchs and Monarchs love each others' company. They go where the money is, it is that simple.

bombastix · 28/02/2025 10:34

EasternStandard · 28/02/2025 10:29

Chagos is such a shame. It will cost us billions

Of course Trump is fine with it, he gets paid.

We pay instead of using funds for other defence

Only the Labour team could be so happy about 'winning' on costing the taxpayer billions for no need.

Okay. But honestly what did they expect? Trump doesn't care.

It was more interesting that they thought he would. Now that's very silly

Nothatgingerpirate · 28/02/2025 10:33

Whoarethoseguys · 28/02/2025 10:17

Yes I thought Starmer was very very clever and all respect to him. He sounded like someone giving a gift to a small child making them aware how important it was. And Trump lapped it up!
The only way to get anywhere with him is to flatter him and hold your nose while doing it.

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He's just a human being.
Works with others also, but I agree about holding your nose.
(My narcissistic mother, sitting on inheritance).

upinaballoon · 28/02/2025 10:32

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 28/02/2025 01:35

I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when this was discussed between Starmer and Charles. I can just imagine the King saying "but do we really have to?", and the PM saying, "yes, your majesty, I'm afraid you do".

And then perhaps Camilla turning the air blue when she was informed! 😂

Camilla can wink both eyes at Trumple when/if he comes.