Keir Starmer unlikely to meet Kamala Harris before US election

Sir Keir Starmer is unlikely to meet Kamala Harris before the US presidential election in 12 days’ time, Downing Street has indicated.

The prime minister met Republican nominee Donald Trump in New York final month, and urged he needed to do the identical with Democrat Harris.

But Sir Keir is now in Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit, because the US marketing campaign enters its closing stage before the ballot on 5 November.

In latest days, there have been tensions between the Labour Party and the Trump marketing campaign over Labour staffers who volunteered to marketing campaign for Harris.

The Trump group have filed a grievance with the US elections watchdog, alleging the assistance broke US election guidelines on overseas interference.

The grievance, filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), claimed Labour had “made, and the Harris campaign has accepted, illegal foreign national contributions”.

It additionally took concern with Sir Keir’s chief of workers, Morgan McSweeney, and Matthew Doyle, his director of communications, attending August’s Democratic conference in Chicago.

It is known from Labour officers that Labour met McSweeney’s prices, whereas Doyle was hosted by the Progressive Policy Institute, a US suppose tank.

But the officers mentioned it could be unsuitable to recommend both man had suggested or assisted the Harris marketing campaign, including that Labour sends a delegation to each Democratic conference.

A string of senior Labour figures have additionally pushed again on the accusation that activists who volunteered to assist the Harris marketing campaign violated US marketing campaign guidelines.

Cabinet minister Steve Reed mentioned Labour had not funded or organised their journeys, whereas Sir Keir instructed reporters the activists travelled “in their spare time”.

“They’re doing it as volunteers. They’re staying I think with other volunteers over there,” the prime minister added.

The row over campaigning was sparked by a now-deleted social media post from Labour’s head of operations, Sofia Patel, that she had about 100 current and former party staff heading to the US before polling day.

The LinkedIn post said she had “10 spots available” for anyone willing to travel to North Carolina to campaign for Harris, adding “we will sort your housing”.

Foreign nationals are permitted to volunteer in political campaigns in the US as long as they are not compensated, according to FEC rules.

Labour sources insist no one has done anything wrong, but there is concern about whether the row could impact the so-called “particular relationship” between the UK and US should Trump win on 5 November.

On Wednesday, Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill pulled out of a guest appearance at an online event on US election night in support of Harris.

She had been due to speak via Zoom at a Labour for Women meeting called “Come on Kamala”, to provide election analysis in a “private capability”, a government spokesperson said.

Conservative shadow Scottish secretary John Lamont had accused McNeill of “internet hosting a totally fledged rally” for Harris.

Responding to the Trump team’s complaint during his plane journey to Samoa on Tuesday, Sir Keir denied the row would damage his relationship with the Republican candidate, reminding reporters the two had dinner together at Trump Tower in New York last month.

The prime minister’s deputy spokesperson stressed the UK would always have “a deep and strong relationship with the US as our closest ally” whoever won the election.

She was not aware of any plans for government ministers to speak to Trump’s campaign team, but Sir Keir and Trump had discussed “the long-standing friendship” between the 2 nations throughout their dinner, she mentioned.

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK chief and Trump supporter, instructed the BBC he believed the wording of the LinkedIn submit did breach US election legislation, saying the principles had been “very, very clear”.

Farage, who has travelled to the US to assist Trump on a number of events, mentioned: “The ad didn’t say you’ll be going in your own free time, didn’t say you’ll have to pay your own air fare, which at the moment by the way are very, very expensive, it said you’re going to have free accommodation.

“If you have a look at the wording of that advert there may be little doubt that’s in opposition to American election legislation.”