Keir Starmer’s recent visit to Washington has raised eyebrows, with critics accusing him of bowing down to Donald Trump in a desperate bid for support. His trip, described as a “humiliating spectacle” by some, saw him seeking US backing for two key foreign policy issues: handing the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius and securing American commitment to Ukraine.
On the Chagos Islands, Starmer is pushing forward a deal that would see the UK hand over the territory to Mauritius—despite arguments that it never historically belonged to them. The move is also set to cost the UK taxpayer significantly, as payments to Mauritius will be inflation-linked and stretch far into the future, reported GB News. Trump, however, is unlikely to oppose it, given that Starmer is proposing the UK foot the bill for the US military lease on the islands.
When it comes to Ukraine, Starmer’s stance has been seen as little more than grandstanding. He is eager for Britain to take a leading role in the conflict, but critics argue that he lacks the means to do so. The reality is that the UK’s military has been so depleted that, according to Lieutenant General Sir Rob Magowan, it would struggle to sustain a fight against Russia for more than two months.
More worrying still is the collapse in national pride, which some attribute to decades of policies pushed by Starmer’s allies. In the last ten years alone, pride in British history has fallen by over a third, with less than half of the population now saying they would choose British citizenship over any other nationality. The erosion of patriotism, some argue, has left Britain without the backbone needed to maintain a strong military force.
Adding to the frustration is the perception that British soldiers are being treated worse than those arriving via small boats in the Channel. While service members struggle with inadequate support, illegal migrants are, in the eyes of critics, prioritized.
Starmer’s visit to Washington was, in essence, a plea for the US to act as a “backstop” against Russian aggression. But America has its own problems. Trump is far more focused on tackling China, South American drug cartels, and the country’s spiraling deficit. The crisis on the US-Mexico border has resulted in thousands of deaths, with fentanyl overdoses claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration is deploying thousands of troops to curb the influence of powerful Mexican cartels.
Financially, the US is also on shaky ground, with a staggering $36 trillion national debt and a $2 trillion deficit. Trump’s priority is to fix America’s economic crisis, not to fund Europe’s security.
Starmer’s assumption that the US should continue paying for European defense has been widely criticized. Many argue that European countries, including Britain, have allowed their own military capabilities to wither while embracing the naive belief that international treaties and bureaucratic oversight could replace real defense.
At home, Britain’s economic situation is just as dire. National debt servicing is now the fourth-largest expense in the country, costing £104.9 billion—almost double the entire defense budget. Meanwhile, the deficit continues to balloon, with no safety net like the US dollar’s reserve currency status to cushion the blow.
Amidst all this, the UK’s institutions appear to be turning their backs on history. Reports suggest that portraits of Churchill, Nelson, Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth I are being removed from government buildings, and replaced with figures like “Red Ellen” Wilkinson, an early British Communist Party member. Even GCHQ, the country’s intelligence agency, only cut ties with Stonewall after pressure from the Trump administration.
For many, Starmer’s trip to the US was not just an embarrassment—it was a stark reminder that Britain is no longer a serious player on the world stage.
