The Brits are SO smart.

[MsAmerica]

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

@Rummly - yes the EU call it the "precautionary principle". Caution until proved safe. The US is the polar opposite.

Incidentally I looked at the trade patterns of the world between 2000 and 2024. This is sobering news for the US. They were the top trading nation in 2000 for goods. Today, China is dominant.

Trump being Trump perhaps his approach of a gangster shakedown of former allies is a lot easier than doing the hard stuff.

'Trump and the USA aren't acting much like allies at the moment.Starmer did well pandering to Trump's vanity. He and Macron are doing a difficult job trying to secure the future of Europe's security, it's hardly surprising if he looks a bit worried at times.'

'Not acting like allies'*, what do you mean?! Like him or loathe him he is our ally.

You make out that KS and EM are running the show and indulging Trump. They aren't, he is and he knows it. Starmer did do well with his bum licking yes, very impressive.

What because I don't say "OMG your great uncle was from Newcastle, thats amazing!!!!!!!!" or "The Royal family are incredible, I hang around Windsor most weekend hoping for a glimpse"
Maybe I'm not "warm" but I am friendly, professional and efficient which is precisely what they need.
If you think American are warm you mustn't spend much time with them, they tend to be surface friendly but pretty steely underneath. My clients are anyway but they are all high achievers.

You just sound like one of those people who thinks there is moral value in acting unimpressed and aloof all the time.

Agree completely. Hopefully those who plan on ‘protesting’ will think twice and realise what Starmer is actually doing, rather than ‘oMG He’s SUCKing up TO a FASCiSt’

There's no surprise on China trade doing well, why would there be

The US will do more and has a chance

We're scaling back on international interests and as in the letter below we're leaving a void for China and Russia to fill even more.

You are worrying unnecessarily. Trump can't be trusted but Starmer's success yesterday helps Europe. Macron and Starmer are in partnership and Macron canbe trusted.

No, I sound like one of those people who provides a polite but professional service rather than fakes over the top interest in everything to try and ingratiate myself.
I think doing my job properly is more important than feigning interest in something (beyond what is polite of course)

Stay true to yourself

That wasn't quite what I meant. Trump has gone to his closest allies to tariff them highly. He is not even touching those jurisdictions which now have dominant commercial goods trade with China. In 2000, the US dominated Russia, South America, North America, Australia, Africa and Europe.

Now? North America, Europe.

I think you have a more optimistic view of human nature than I do!

Hoppinggreen is a self disagnosed narcissist and sociopath so she probably takes that as a compliment to be fair!

Come on now
Nothing self diagnosed about me, it was a Counsellor, GP and Psychiatrist if you remember rightly and IF you remember rightly I do not think I am a Narcissist
So if you want to follow people around MN at least get it right

To demonstrate our freedom of speech? I imagine it would set JD Vance's mind at rest somewhat if he saw Scottish people were freely able to protest even against his boss. Remember laws against freedom of speech is an even greater threat than Russia! Silent mass prayer anyone?

You’re right in theory but the takeaway wouldn’t be ‘Wow, free speech!’ It would be ‘The Brits are good for nothing whiners who hate me; screw them’

He won’t. But we’ll find something else to offer him next time he threatens tariffs.

He’s also not interested in any sort of trade deal with the U.K. that isn’t America First. He’s so isolationist that we might get some minor trade agreements but I don’t see any large scale long term trade deal in the near future.

With a bit of luck our negotiations have improved from we desperately need a deal to show Brexit wasn’t a disaster what concessions would you like though.

Exactly. At any moment Johnson might have started going on about Peppa Pig or started quoting Latin or some other part of his privileged buffoon act. He's also Team Me, just like Trump, and I don't know what happens if two of those people are in the same room. It's like crossing the streams.

I have no doubt that in all this, Charles will have been very aware of what his late mother would have said, which would be on the lines of 'It's not about what you like or don't like. This is the job. Get on with it'. This is what having a royal family is for, and I expect them to give hosting Trump their best efforts.

Yup, this is literally the point of the royal family to suck this kind of crap up on the nation's behalf. We've already had William arselick successfully. They're worth every penny for this alone.

... the takeaway (of demonstrations) wouldn’t be ‘Wow, free speech!’ It would be ‘The Brits are good for nothing whiners who hate me; screw them’

Exactly, @Wildflowers99, but unfortunately some who relish a good demo - and have never quite got over the fact that Trump was elected - are unlikely to think of that

Doubtless it would make for a nice day out and lots of self-congratulatory SM posts, but whether it would actually help anything is something else again

Typo

I can’t see anything wrong about protesting against Trump. If it’s in Scotland at least we’ll be spared the sight of that charlatan Sadiq Khan posturing in front of cameras somewhere in London.

The alternative is what Blair did when he got the Met to suppress protest against the Chinese premier. Shameful that was.

My view of (some people’s) behaviour is extremely cynical. I also believe that a country bending over backwards to use its soft power wouldn’t allow a few idiots to disrupt all its efforts.

@Doingmybestbut "I understood why they did it but it just feels so cheap and demeaning. Thank goodness QEII isn’t around to have to deal with him visiting again."

It was LITERALLY her bloody job!!

Honestly having seen that disgusting treatment of Zelensky in the White House by Trump and Vance I think Trump has to be uninvited somehow. He’s a disgusting bully and shouldn’t be treated as a dignitary.

I’m really astonished people have this view.

Trump was completely aware what Starmer was doing and why. Trump’s quip asking if the letter from Charles had his signature on it because otherwise it wasn’t as meaningful. The UK thinks it was playing Trump but Trump is very aware he has the UK over a barrel.

And now the UK can’t even show they disapprove of Trump’s treatment of Zelenskyy. It’s embarrassing. .