UK Prime Minister makes savage dig at Donald Trump after US president's brutal remark about London
Topics: Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, Politics, US News, UK News
Madison Burgess
Featured Image Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Topics: Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, Politics, US News, UK News
Sir Keir Starmer has hit back at Donald Trump's brutal claims about London and defended Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The UK Prime Minister, 63, said that the American president's, 79, statement that the English capital 'wants to go to sharia law' is 'ridiculous nonsense'.
For those not up to speed, Trump gave a blistering speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday (23 September), where he took aim at a slew of different countries.
From attacking European immigration laws to calling Khan a 'terrible mayor,' the president certainly didn't hold his tongue as he addressed the room.
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He said : “I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor, and it’s been changed, it’s been so changed.
"Now they want to go to sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can’t do that.”
And now, hitting back, Starmer told BBC London on Thursday: “You saw from the state visit last week that there are plenty of things on which the President and I agree and we’re working together.
“There are some issues on which we disagree. And what the President said about the Mayor, who’s doing a really good job, in fact driving down serious crime, what he said about the introduction of sharia law was ridiculous nonsense.”
And asked in another interview with ITV London whether he will 'call out' the Republican leader on his comments when he next speaks to him, Starmer said: “Of course.
“We have a frank conversation about many, many things. But I want to express my support for our mayor, Sadiq Khan. We’re very proud to have a Muslim in our diverse city.”
And quizzed on whether he agrees with Khan's comments that Trump is 'racist, sexist and Islamophobic', the Prime Minister said: “I’m not going to get drawn into a war of words.”
He said he does not agree with Trump that European countries are 'going to hell' - another wild statement he made during his United Nations 'roast'.
He told BBC South East: “No, he’s not right about that. I think we’ve got an incredible country of compassionate, reasonable, tolerant people in this country, and I’m very proud of who we are as a people."
Starmer further made a dig at Trump when he attended the Global Progress Action Summit in London today (Friday 26 September).
He said that progressive politicians need to 'confront directly' the 'lies' being told about their countries.
The Prime Minister said: “I don’t accept that argument that somehow our politics is dying out, but I do accept that it is now time for social democrats to confront directly some of the challenges and some of the lies, frankly, that have taken root in our societies.
“Because we don’t just hear these stories about our politics. We also hear stories about our own countries, our communities, our cities that simply do not match the reality that we see around us.”
He added that London was not 'the wasteland of anarchy' it has been portrayed as by some.
Starmer said in his speech: "And it's very good to have you here in London.
"I hope you've enjoyed yourself here, in our capital city. Maybe you've gone out for breakfast this morning. Popped into the pub for a pint last night, maybe enjoyed the last rays of sunshine in our beautiful parks.
"And if you have done any of those things or other brilliant things in London, you may have noticed that this city isn't the wasteland of anarchy that some would have you believe. But that in a sense captures what we're up against, doesn't it?"
He continued: "There are versions in all of your countries, where places, institutions, communities are portrayed in a way that is a million miles from reality - a sort of industrialised infrastructure of grievance. An entire world - not just a world view - created through our devices that is miserable, joyless, and demonstrably untrue."