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‘Trump’s Return Must Be a Turning Point for the UK to Stop Pandering to America and Forge a Brighter Future With Europe’

Trump is taking the US in a dark direction and we must not let ourselves be dragged along with him, argues Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer

Donald Trump. Photo: DPA / Alamy

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Donald Trump’s inauguration as the President of the United States for a second time is a dark moment, and I know many people here in the UK will be feeling scared about what this means. Not just for people in America, women, trans people and migrants in particular, who will be at the sharp end of Trump’s policies, but for the rest of the world – for peace and security, for action on the climate, and for the integrity of our own democracy.

There’s plenty to be worried about. Trump has confirmed that some of his first moves as President will be to start a wave of mass deportations, tearing people away from their communities; withdrawing the USA from the Paris agreement on climate action and implementing his “drill, baby, drill” energy policy; and an acceleration of policies to strip trans people of their rights and their access to healthcare. 

Given all this, I know many in the UK will be disappointed by our own Prime Minister’s attempts to cozy up to the new president. Of course, I understand the need for international diplomacy – but to hear Keir Starmer send his “warmest congratulations” to a man found by a jury to be liable for sexual abuse sticks firmly in the craw. Instead of frantically scrabbling to shore up the so-called “special relationship” between the UK and USA, I think many people would rather our leaders stuck by their principles – and used this moment as an opportunity to re-think our global relationships. 

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Does it really benefit the UK to serve as a US outpost, isolated on the outskirts of Europe? Or is it time for us to carve a new path? 

On everything from the climate to women’s rights, Trump is going to take America in the wrong direction. We shouldn’t be dragged along with them. Instead, we should work much more closely with our European neighbours, and with all those who do share our values, to build the kind of world we want to see – securing decent pay and conditions for all workers, protecting the natural environment that we love and rely on, and setting ambitious climate targets so that we can give our children a future to look forward to. 

Because let’s be clear: across the world, in communities and cities and governments, action is being taken to build a better future. To decarbonise; to create good, green jobs; and to protect workers from exploitation. Surely, those are the projects we want to align ourselves with – not Trump’s authoritarian race to the bottom. 

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In the Green Party, we’re very clear about the direction we should be going in – and that trying to ride Trump’s coattails isn’t going to get us there. So as we head into Trump’s second presidency, we’ll be fighting for a better future for the UK – holding the Government to account when they try to pander to America’s demands, and encouraging them to pursue global relationships that better suit our interests. Trump’s presidency doesn’t have to spell disaster for the world – let’s not let it. 


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