Welcome, President Trump

When I wrote a blog four years ago congratulating President Biden on his win and wishing him well I got some critical responses. I respect the democratic judgement of US voters, and the office of President . Today I offer my congratulations  to Donald Trump and wish him every success. I like his drive for peace in the world. I support his aim to lower taxes, reduce regulation and promote growth and greater prosperity.

Four years ago I was conscious I did not support some of Mr Biden’s   policies. I praised him for saying his aim was to unite a divided country, though said that would prove difficult. Unfortunately he did not carry it out.

 

It turned out he had as an aim preventing Mr Trump  from running again. He and his Administration tried all manner of allegations and lawfare tactics to stop him. The Democrats found it just made Mr Trump more popular with his followers. They failed in their self appointed main task, and deepened the divisions within the country by trying to say the main Opposition party’s views and policies were   unacceptable or illegal.

Today President Trump says  he will be a force for peace in Ukraine and Gaza. He will strengthen NATO, as the peace of the democracies  is secured by showing strong defence. He says he will lower taxes and cut the costs of government. That will reinforce faster US growth and should be an example to the UK and the  rest of Europe. He will liberate business sufficiently to boost jobs and investment. He will help the West by expanding output of gas, leaving us less dependent on Russia and the Middle East.

I wish him and the USA well. I urge the UK government to think again about how they work with our main ally. Keeping the Chagos and keeping our current Ambassador in post would start to correct the damage they have done to the relationship.

102 Comments

  1. agricola
    January 20, 2025

    Both USA and the UK suffer the legacy of the Democratic party which has indulged its antipathy to the UK, and Labours vocal dislike of the Republicans.

    The Democrats ” Get to the back of the queue”, and their running, unannounced , retreat from Afgahnistan clearly clarified their attitude to the UK. Labour’s stream of invective towards Trump, and their overt support for Harris during the 2024 presidential election leaves them with their metaphoric knickers round their ankles. Their choice of a chinophile ambassador only emphasises the fact, accompanied by the Chagos fiasco, to top it off. Both the Democrats and Labour are a threat to World stability. The welcome but questionable peace in Gaza, that everyone seeks to take credit for, seems to me, with Hamas still in place, a very fragile affaire. I hope Trump spells out to Iran and its proxis the consequences of any out of line reversion to their evil aims. I put the chances of a civilised relationship between Palastinians and Israel as at best slim.

    There is hope that the insanities of Labour will learn something from a successful Trump presidency, but I doubt it. Paganism to the Pope is not in their DNA.

    1. Ian Wraggg
      January 20, 2025

      Donald is an Anglophile and probably truly appalled at what’s happening to our once proud country
      The wokerati will be having fits of vapours at his thoroughly sensible agenda
      Most of the developed world is heading to the right, Britain being an outlier having a communist inspired government. When MAGA kicks in and the USA economy bounces back, maybe just maybe the people of Europe will see what a blind alley they’ve been led down with their Net Zero, Mass immigration and other ruinous polices.
      Just keep Nigel onside and the very best wishes to Donald.

      1. Denis Cooper
        January 20, 2025

        The US economy has been doing fine compared to what has been happening this side of the Atlantic.

        If you google for

        “on a per capita basis, real disposable income has grown almost twice as much in the US as in the EU since 2000”

        you will find that admission in the Foreword to “The future of European competitiveness” of September 2024.

        https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/97e481fd-2dc3-412d-be4c-f152a8232961_en

        Maybe this is going too far: “Europe’s economic apocalypse is now”

        https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-economic-apocalypse/

        but we have been too close to the EU and not close enough to the US.

      2. Lifelogic
        January 20, 2025

        Indeed and the reason we have to suffer this appalling Labour Government is the Con-socialists failure to even try to deliver the promises they made for 14 years on taxes, immigration. The only one they tried to deliver were the woke lunacy, DEI and the insanity of net zero. Plus they got everything wrong on net zero too. The serial lockdowns, the ineffective and unsafe vaccines, the attack of free speech like the sensible Barrington Declaration people.

        We need the Trump policies of cheap reliable on demand energy, lower simpler taxes, end the DEI and work lunacy, deregulate, cut the size of the state, deter crime, high skilled immigration only


        “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical” Thomas Jefferson.

        This is the UK, for the past 40+ years and still getting worse by the day thanks to the foolish Con-socialists & Sunak giving Starmer a huge majority. A doom loop, thank goodness for Trump.

        1. Ed M
          January 21, 2025

          A lot of truth to what you say but you ruin it by your fanaticism which is reflected in the Tory Party to a degree and why many people vote Labour instead of Tory (and Reform are going to do nothing ultimately but destroy the Tory Party handing millions of votes to Labour and the Womble Lib Dems).
          We need to focus on building up our high tech industry and develop North of England to take millions off dependency on state, try and attract higher quality Tory MPs and try and promote Tory values into the culture as well as many of your proposals but not so fanatical. Puts voters off.

    2. Ian wragg
      January 20, 2025

      John, do a piece on Paul Homewoods article on the Climate and Nature Bill getting its second reading on Friday.
      Todays article in Conservative Woman gives a chilling insight into what is proposed by the CCA.
      Maybe Trump will be the catalyst that destroys this agenda

      1. Bryan Harris
        January 20, 2025

        @Ian wragg +1

        Yes, there are so many bills that go through parliament that rarely get discussed properly. The rules being set in place by successive legislation will make the UK more like a prison than a country.

        1. glen cullen
          January 20, 2025

          How is Kemi going to vote ?

          1. Mark B
            January 20, 2025

            She will, in all probability, vote against. What does she have to lose ? It is not as if Labour do not know how to use a sizeable majority, unlike the Tory’s.

      2. hefner
        January 20, 2025

        If one reads Paul Homewood’s article to the end he says there is very little chance of this Private Member’s Bill (proposed by Roz Savage MP after numerous previous attempts with similar texts (Climate and Ecology Bill (bills 172, 61, 13, 304) by previous MPs and Lord, not by the CCC) to go past the Second Reading (in fact the first time it is debated). See PH’s third paragraph from the end.

        So I don’t think Parliament will need any DJT catalytic effort to reject that bill.
        But that gives PH something to do 


      3. glen cullen
        January 20, 2025

        Trump has the belief of the ‘american-dream’, while the UK has the reality of ‘death-nail’

        1. hefner
          January 21, 2025

          I like your take on death knell.

    3. Pominoz
      January 20, 2025

      agricola,
      An excellent post!
      Starmer’s appointment of Mandelson as US Ambassador is not only arrogant, but ludicrously detrimental to UK / US relations. Fortunately, Donald Trump, and his soundly based team, are more than capable of seeing off a third-rate appointee, of the leftist last century, in the very short term.
      Let us hope that Trump’s highly sensible, non-woke approach will influence the direction of more and more of the leaders of the Western World, acknowledging, sadly, that Starmer will, even to his own oblivion, (which we hope will be sooner rather than later) resist.

  2. Mark B
    January 20, 2025

    Good morning.

    Sir John, apart from the Chagos Islands I do not think President Trump gives a stuff about the UK and the EU. As for NATO I am sure he will push for his demand that they spend the 5% of GDP on defence expected as this will benefit USA defence contractors the most.

    He needs to see and end to fighting elsewhere as China is currently building Invasion Barges – Go to H.I. Sutton (YT & Website) for more details. It is clear both China and North Korea are going to be the subject of USA attention for the rest of the century as Europe slowly descends into a political, economic and social backwater.

    President Trump will be more interested in sorting out internal matters and those along the Canadian and Mexican borders. He wants to project strong leadership and a desire to reassert USA world hegemony.

    Those here in the UK need to wake up to our ever diminishing role and position in the world, much like Spain has.

    The one good thing however, is this administration may prove to be the much needed catalyst for root and branch change here in the UK. We need to recognise that the ‘Blair Reforms’ have done monumental harm to our country and we need to ditch the lot.

    1. Peter Wood
      January 20, 2025

      Well said; a rather more balanced view IMHO. Criticising another nation’s legal system in the manner above is treading on thin ice.
      We know Trump’s driving instincts, and they are not benign. Being more unfettered than last time I think we can expect a ‘wild ride’, as one of his occasional supporters said.

    2. Donna
      January 20, 2025

      I do think Trump and at least some senior members of his team do care about the UK but mainly out of self-interest of course. Post WW2 we have always been their most dependable ally. Nigel will be doing his best to ensure that continues. He certainly did a great deal to scupper the Chagos betrayal.

      The EU is a different matter: it has been “taking the proverbial” over trade with the USA for decades, as well as its major members failing to pay even the minimum NATO contribution towards their own defence. That’s now going to stop. I’m going to enjoy watching the Kommissars howl with fury.

      1. Mickey Taking
        January 20, 2025

        Putin will love the possible reduction in clear military support for EU, Trump reinforcing the call to pay up or be neglected.
        Another cost on the EU strained budget.
        This is the perfect time for UK to test muscles on the UK-EU relationship. We ought to be insisting on UK preferences not ‘reset’ noises. Friendly collaboration from Starmer is the wrong way to deal with the fixed mindset politicos via Brussels.

        1. Denis Cooper
          January 20, 2025

          Once upon a time there was “Imperial Preference”:

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Preference

          That was for the British Empire; the maximum trading preference afforded by the “post-imperial” EU empire comes in the form of its Customs Union PLUS its Single Market, both are needed, and it comes with strings and costs. On the other hand, if the EU started to apply the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement which it and each of its member states have ratified then unnecessary obstacles to the movement of goods in and out of the EU would be eliminated without imposing any strings or costs on its trading partners. But I have yet to hear any high level UK politician so much as mention that WTO treaty, let alone suggest that having agreed to it the EU might care to start applying it.

          https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tradfa_e/tradfa_e.htm

          Article 7.4 on “Risk Management” is the relevant provision.

        2. Donna
          January 20, 2025

          I wonder if Never-Here-Keir is on his way out to Davos yet to get his next Orders.

          1. Mickey Taking
            January 20, 2025

            Well, he won’t get a call from Trump or Farage saying ‘wish you were here!’

      2. Mitchel
        January 20, 2025

        Rob Lee,senior fellow at the US Foreign Policy Research Institute(who is pro-Ukraine but unlike the hirelings/fantasists put forward to provide ‘analysis’ in the UK media has a reputation to protect) tweets:

        “Newly formed brigades within the Ukraine military face critical challenges on the front line.Poor management,lack of experience and inadequate training have resulted in territorial losses,damaged equipment and tragic casualties.NATO’s training methods often fail to align with the realities of modern warfare.Despite receiving advanced equipment and personnel,these brigades falter due to weak co-ordination and leadership.”

        The Government loves to tell us how many tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been trained in the UK.A far more interesting statistic would be how many of these unfortunates are still alive.

      3. Ian B
        January 20, 2025

        @Donna – +1
        The EU… those insular protectionists. I remember last time Trump was in office when he raised the import duty for EU cars from 2.5% to 10%. The EU protectionists went bananas, they called it unfair malicious treatment of their Auto industry. What they neglected to say was that all US imports of cars into the EU have had to pay 10% import duty while exports the other way did enjoy just 2.5% tariffs. Trump said that interpretation of trade was unbalanced so he levelled it out – the EU Commission still says that is unfair.
        All trade should be reciprocal and balanced.

    3. Ian B
      January 20, 2025

      @Mark B – “I do not think President Trump gives a stuff about the UK ” although I think you are wrong, there should be the question why should he? He is in position as CEO of USA.plc as we would call it. That is the reverse of the UK Parliament and Government,, they don’t give a stuff about UK.plc but are worried about people that are not our friends that wouldn’t return the favour , but how they think of them personally is the priority.

    4. Lynn Atkinson
      January 20, 2025

      The west has no capacity to ‘consider’ a battle with China. The USA has to beat China economically. Chinese invasion barges will not be deployed against the west.
      We have nukes, our security is secure. We will NOT be invaded by a country!
      Have you not noticed that the western world is being invaded?
      The political class, so dependent on the opinions of the OBR, MOD, etc cannot conceive that everything has changed. When the people stand in the streets yelling to tell them – the people are arrested.
      JR has always had his nose to the ground, every day he reads and responds to what the people say.
      Even he could not comprehend that Russia has beaten NATO which is like the NHS, lazy, expensive and led by fools and liars!

      1. Mark B
        January 20, 2025

        Chinese invasion barges will not be deployed against the west.

        They are for Taiwan, which is only some ten or twenty miles away from mainland China. They have other means of defeating the West and many a useful idiot and organisation willing to assist in such.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          January 20, 2025

          We are not obliged to ‘defend’ Taiwan.

          1. Mark B
            January 20, 2025

            I know. That is why I mentioned that it will be one of the main things that President Trump will be occupied with, not Two Tier Kier.

        2. Lynn Atkinson
          January 21, 2025

          Mark Trump will not be occupied by Taiwan. Not for a moment.
          They are worried about the U.K. – they have said so. We are all worried about the U.K.!

      2. K
        January 20, 2025

        Correct. Our proxy war with Russia is an economic and political rout … of the UK. We are now ruled by Marxists, our people about to endure impossible hardships and possibly much worse.

        Only America will be able to save us.

  3. Wanderer
    January 20, 2025

    I wish him well. Thank God he survived so far, and got elected. It’s exciting, and will be fascinating to see whether he can diminish blob power. He’s not divine though, and is bound to make some mistakes along the way.

    Meanwhile he’s got several hundred executive orders ready for signing today, to undo some the madness of the last administration (leaving the Paris accord, ending DEI in government, ending most of the gender nonsense etc). Such measures will be reminders of what fools we are in the UK and Europe.

    I agree with others here: we are at best a peripheral interest for the USA who will get no favours, and we better accept and get used to it.

    1. Mickey Taking
      January 20, 2025

      But Biden must have an aching wrist after signing all those pardons, he probably didn’t have a clue what they were ‘fan mail Mr President’.

  4. Donna
    January 20, 2025

    The American people have refused to “go quietly” into an authoritarian Socialist future. They voted emphatically for a New Dawn and to clear out their Deep State.

    I hope we do the same at the next opportunity. We must vote to destroy the Establishment’s Uni-Party and elect a Government which will do what is necessary to dismantle Blair’s Socialist Settlement and will clear out The Blob.

    1. Ian B
      January 20, 2025

      @Donna +1

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      January 20, 2025

      Donna, they had Trump. Musk has said and mind his words ‘Farage does not have what it takes’.

      1. Mickey Taking
        January 20, 2025

        I agree Farage could never be a dictator like Musk or Trump. err…is that a downside?

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          January 20, 2025

          A dictator with a clean sweep election – just like Putin. Wow – I wish we could have such a dictator. Imagine more than half of us being delighted.

          1. Mickey Taking
            January 21, 2025

            Starmer has that clean sweep, hence the mad misery on its way.

      2. Donna
        January 21, 2025

        That may be his opinion. Why do you take the view that everything Musk says is right?

        Personally, I don’t expect perfection; I don’t let it be the enemy of the good. The UK is not the USA; our Constitutions are different and whoever becomes PM doesn’t have the same powers as a US President.

        I look on the Establishment’s Uni-Party as a 3-legged stool. Break one of the legs and it cannot stand. Unlike Reform, the LibDems are going nowhere in the polls and it looks to me like the blue leg has fractured and will break.

    3. Rod Evans
      January 20, 2025

      + 42
      An end to DEI, ESG, and every Net Zero zealot (AOC, Mann, Gore, Warren, Bloomberg, Greta, Miliband) who are advocating ending civilisation.

  5. Roy Grainger
    January 20, 2025

    Trump was notably successful in foreign policy last time when he de-escalted the situation in North Korea (conveniently forgotten by his opponents) and ensured that Russia didn’t invade anyone (unlike under Obama and then Biden). Already just his threat to Hamas has ensured they have finalised a hasty peace with Israel in advance of his inauguration. Let us see what he can achieve in Ukraine. And also let’s see if EU and some other countries start to spend more on their own defence instead of relying on USA (mostly) and UK taxpayers to do it for them. Spending on defence as % GDP: Spain 1.3%, Belgium 1.3%, Canada 1.4%, Italy 1.5%, UK 2.3%, USA 3.4%.

    Starmer is in Davos this week I suppose, amongst all his globalist open-border chums discussing how terrible Trump is.

    1. Ian wragg
      January 20, 2025

      Starmer is in Davos, Thieves is with him being studiously ignored. The world is turning right and we are out of step. Trump should rectify that. The uniparty blob has got to go.

      1. Pominoz
        January 20, 2025

        +1

      2. hefner
        January 22, 2025

        The PM is not in Davos (dailymail.co.uk 20/01/2025) but R.Reeves, J.Reynolds, D.Beckham are.

    2. Bloke
      January 20, 2025

      Switzerland was on the side of peace during WWII. Sensible countries mind their own business efficiently, tend not to cause or attract enmity and stay on the safe side, away from invasion lists.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        January 20, 2025

        Switzerland hosted one of Zelensky’s ‘Putin must surrender’ Conferences. Russia no longer views Switzerland as a neutral country.

        1. Mickey Taking
          January 20, 2025

          as Bush apparently made it known ‘you are either with us, or against us?’

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            January 20, 2025

            You are either neutral or biased. To hold a ‘Peace Conference’ with one of the parties not invited 
. Well it was always going to be successful wasn’t it?

        2. Bloke
          January 20, 2025

          Lynn: An organiser can hire a church hall for a debate without the local vicar opposing Russia, or even expressing an interest. Switzerland is a pleasant location for all, and free speech.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            January 21, 2025

            Switzerland displayed bias by agreeing to host a ‘peace conference’ with only one of the protagonists present. The other being ‘silenced’ in case they said something which upset everybody’s bias – including Switzerland’s.
            Therefore they may be a pleasant country but no free speech for Russia and no longer neutral.
            How would we have felt if Germany had been invited to a peace conference to end WWII but not us – and in 1945 – that is EXACTLY the same situation as in Ukraine/Russia 2024.

          2. Bloke
            January 22, 2025

            Owners of premises may allow those hiring their facilities to invite whom they wish. Customers choose. Brighton and Blackpool offer similar services to those who pay.

          3. hefner
            January 22, 2025

            Lynn, a very biased view (that I am not surprised to read coming from such a Putin’s puppet as you are): The Russian president had said many times over the first half of 2024 he was not interested in participating in such a meeting in Switzerland, which was held on 15-16/06.
            26/02/2024 Radio Free Europe, 12/04/2024 firstpost.com, 16/05/2024 yahoo.com, 03/06/2024 reuters.com, 15/06/2024 pbs.org.

  6. Stephen Sharp
    January 20, 2025

    You say of Mr Trump ‘I support his aim to lower taxes, reduce regulation and promote growth and greater prosperity’ does this mean you loathe free trade and approve of tariffs?

    Reply. No

  7. Richard1
    January 20, 2025

    I see the idiotic siddiq khan has made some fatuous comparison between trump’s return and – you guessed it – 1930s Germany. How has this inane individual got to his position and how does he stay there? There really must be a concerted effort next time to get rid of him. It’s a pity Rory Stewart didn’t stand, he would obviously have been a far better choice.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      January 20, 2025

      đŸ˜‚đŸ€Ł Rory is never a better choice!

      1. Mickey Taking
        January 20, 2025

        that is indeed funny.

  8. Original Richard
    January 20, 2025

    President Trump’s greatest gift to humanity and the planet will be the ending of the war on CO2, the gas of life. He will end the Far Left’s and climate/energy grifters’ scam and enable all humans to benefit from cheap, reliable energy and all life on the planet to benefit from an increase in CO2. There is no runaway global warming/climate crisis caused by the burning of hydrocarbon fuels as demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally by Tom Shula in his Tom Nelson YT video “The Missing Link” because the greenhouse gases, water vapour (by far the largest) and CO2, do not exhibit any greenhouse gas effect at the planet’s surface as a result of thermalisation.

  9. formula57
    January 20, 2025

    I understand there are some 200 executive orders coming later today to reverse many Biden initiatives. Good for President Trump.

    He would be wise to appoint an Impeachment Counsel at once, to handle what surely will be coming. He should also recognize (as he no doubt does, better than anyone) that a 4 year term leaves little time to do things so he should get on with exacting as much revenge and retribution as he can get away with against those who tried to do him down by reprehensible, underhand means.

  10. formula57
    January 20, 2025

    Just like Pritti Patel (and successors) President Trump has voiced a determination to control the borders to end illegal immigration. We shall have to wait and see if he does anything or, like Pritti, nothing at all of any effect.

  11. Linda Brown
    January 20, 2025

    Trump is a peace maker and should be welcomed back on the world stage. I have still have his newspaper cuttings from when he last was President and will keep the current ones. Didn’t he look good for 78 on telly last night? Wish some of our younger elements could look so professional and speak so well. Good luck to him and I hope he sorts this country out for us so that we can be proud again to live here. I remember working for an international workforce and the Americans were the kindest people to me so I have a soft spot for them. They get a bad press from certain elements.

    1. Matt
      January 20, 2025

      The best thing about Trump is that he is a free spirit not beholden to any particular Lobby group unlike Biden who was caught on all sides by politicos to the point of indecision.

      1. Donna
        January 21, 2025

        Indecision eh. Is that the new, politically correct, way of saying Dementia?

        1. Mickey Taking
          January 21, 2025

          At least with Ronnie R, Nancy had his attention when dumb struck.#
          Once an actor, always an actor.

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      January 21, 2025

      He answered more questions from the world media in the 1st day than Biden did in a full term!

  12. Paul Freedman
    January 20, 2025

    I am deeply relieved President Trump is back in the White House. He is an authentic Conservative and his ethos of lower taxes, an efficient State, strong growth, strong defence, law and order and fairness are extremely reminiscent of Thatcherism, Reaganism and Trump1. This ethos has always worked. How much more empirical proof of that is needed before it is fully understood and re-adopted. God Bless President Trump.

  13. Bloke
    January 20, 2025

    Donald Trump’s pre-inauguration speech last night was overstated and repetitious yet he is poised for rapid change toward better.
    Baroness Trumpington did great things for the UK.
    We need more like them here.

  14. Ed M
    January 20, 2025

    What did Trump actually achieve in last term?
    He’s high on rhetoric but where are the dramatic results to match his swagger?
    (That he is anti war is one GREAT thing and probably the main reason to vote him into power over other war-hungry Republicans)..
    (And yes to Republicans over Democrats but there is so much waffle and exaggeration about Trump. He’s ultimately a light weight like so many politicians).

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      January 21, 2025

      No wars! Record employment! Strong currency and economy – for a start!

    2. Mickey Taking
      January 21, 2025

      and what did Sleepy Joe do in his 4 years? Apart from worry the world that he might really have a finger on the big
      RED button asking ‘whats this for?’

    3. rose
      January 21, 2025

      He made America energy self sufficient and a net exporter of energy.
      He increased wages for African Americans, Hispanics and women by securing the borders.
      He increased the number of their jobs the same way.
      He provided funding for 12 years for African American universities and colleges. No other President thought of doing this.
      His criminal justice reforms kept more African Americans out of prison.
      His America First policy brought back manufacturing and other employment from abroad.
      He avoided war – with Pompeo and his Peace Through Strength policy. No invasions and the nasties were put back in their boxes.
      He did the Abraham Accords. Any other president would have got the Nobel prize for that.
      He stopped paying UNRWA.
      He recognized Israel’s possession of the Golan Heights, also Judaea and Samaria. The Pompeo Doctrine stopped the UN bullying of Israel.
      He left the Paris Agreement.
      He stopped bribing Iran.
      He despatched Iran’s chief terrorist.

      1. rose
        January 21, 2025

        PS he seriously re armed.

  15. Ian B
    January 20, 2025

    Sir John
    I to wish President Trump and the incoming representatives well. Unfortunately for him he does not get to wield they same power as the UK PM. There will be another election in the USA as is they way of full democracies in 2 years, although it wont be for POTUS it will be for the house of representative ( a lovely word representatives – representative of the people). The people get to send a signal of the direction he takes. The system prevents him taking up ideological terrorism on the people of the US.
    The US has government by the people for the people. The US has only one legislator, the one chosen by the people – all the things the UK People are denied

  16. William Long
    January 20, 2025

    Mr Trump must be one of the few reasons for hope in what otherwise is a pretty depressing world. It is intriguing how the assumption is that his view will prevail over matters like Ukraine and Gaza, and indeed Chagos, and rush to arrange their affairs accordingly, even though they had done nothing to solve these problems before, and as far as the Ukraine is concerned, a good deal to make things worse. And today, the story is, Starmer is racing for a trade deal. Why should he think Mr T will care tuppence for people who up to now, have wasted little opportunity to insult him?

  17. glen cullen
    January 20, 2025

    Agree with your comment today SirJ
    Somebody needs to tell this government that the ‘special relationship’ has to work both ways, otherwise we’re lost in the mist as any other nation …Chagos is the UK putting two fingers up to the USA

  18. Michael Saxton
    January 20, 2025

    Biden was a calamity for America and the World. He talked the game of unity and peace yet played vindictively whilst promoting a US proxy war in Ukraine. European security and prosperity has suffered. He dithered in the Middle East when he should have displayed strength and advocated peace. His open border policy has been a catastrophe. It is difficult to point to anything he has done that’s improved the wealth of Americans and the stability of the world.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      January 21, 2025

      You can’t make peace with an ideology determined to wipe you out.

  19. Ian B
    January 20, 2025

    The big takeaway from Trump becoming president is that he is for the USA and its People, he is indicating once more as has previously proven he is working with them and for them.
    Now ask the UK Government with all there ideological terrorism and hate towards the UK and its People that have chosen to fight rather than work with where do the stand?

  20. Kenneth
    January 20, 2025

    All I hear on the BBC is increasingly snidy remarks about Mr Trump (and some of his supporters).

    As the BBC is well plugged-in to the Labour Party and the civil service, this does not bode well for our near-future relationship with the U.S.

    This could cost us dearly. As a result, in time I can see some Labour MPs crossing the floor of the house or at least going independant.

  21. Bryan Harris
    January 20, 2025

    They failed in their self appointed main task, and deepened the divisions within the country by trying to say the main Opposition party’s views and policies were unacceptable or illegal.

    Exactly what has been happening in this country. The establishment here label anyone with contrary views as ‘hard right’ or ‘fascist’. People get jailed for expressing ‘hurty’ words.

    The world has great hopes for Trump – we sincerely hope he can live up to some of them.

    If our country continues to mirror what happens in America as it did under Biden then we can hope that with Trump at the helm we will start to see a little sanity returning here as well.

  22. Bryan Harris
    January 20, 2025

    The headlines from the Telegraph prove just how biased and misinformed our media is – they are simply stoking up the war machines, but for whose purposes?

    We must put Russia in a prison and build the walls high

    Writers are welcome to their viewpoint, but if that had been Hamas instead of Putin in the headline the writer would have literally been torn apart for his words.

    There is little impartiality in the MSM who simply spread the establishment view, but the worst part is that refuse to do their job properly by not investigating. They are not a news source to be trusted.

  23. Graham
    January 20, 2025

    The slogan is MAGA not MUKGA – time now to test that special relationship we’ve been talking about

  24. Rod Evans
    January 20, 2025

    The chaos of the past four years inspired by the Democrat President Biden should never be overlooked or forgotten.
    Today after the last USA administrations policies, to abandon Afghanistan, girls are no longer being educated in Afghanistan and all human rights there are subservient to the most barbaric religiously focused rule on the planet.
    Today in Ukraine hundreds of thousands of graves exist where young men and women lie buried because of the extended time the illegal invasion by the Russian forces has been allowed and enabled by Biden/Democrat foreign policy. The loss of infrastructure and structural damage to the nation will take decades to repair.
    Today in the Middle East, rockets bombs and firearms are a daily common sight. That lack of peace exists because the Biden/Democrat administration rearmed Iran and provided wealth to fund terrorism in the region.
    Tens of thousands of civilians and total devastation of Gaza is the legacy of four years of Biden/Democrat hands off policy in the Middle East. It is only thanks to the Israeli determination to stand firm that three hostages of the hundreds taken hostage by Hamas following their bloodthirsty invasion on Oct 7th 2023. are
    released.
    We should thank our lucky stars Biden/Harris did not have another four years of destruction. If they had we could have been staring at an invasion of Taiwan already with all the attendant world economic and human damage that would have delivered.
    As you say Sir John, we welcome President Trump today and look forward to a more peaceful better world.

  25. Original Richard
    January 20, 2025

    Kenneth :

    I think we’re more likely to see Conservative MPs crossing the floor of the house, or joining the Lib Dems or the Greens or going independent. Either because of an attempt to move the Party away from the Left’s policies of open borders and Net Zero or simply because of its declining poll ratings.

    1. Kenneth
      January 20, 2025

      Yes, a re-alignment going both ways. I am sure both of the “establishment” parties will suffer defections.

      The LibDems may benefit but I think the long term winner wil be the Reform Party.

  26. Stephen Phillips
    January 20, 2025

    I do not approve of others interfering in our politics but when our PM is on a course of evident lunacy I welcome the disruption.

  27. Ed
    January 20, 2025

    Thank the Lord Trump was reelected.
    Can you imagine Kamala Harris as leader of the Free World.
    She would be out of her depth in a heavy dew.

    1. Chris S
      January 20, 2025

      + 1

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      January 21, 2025

      +1 couldn’t run a bath!

  28. forthurst
    January 20, 2025

    We are no longer an imperial power. We have no use for the Chagos Islands other than the US airbase on Diego Garcia. Would it not be better to dispose of these Islands to the US? Why waste time with the Mauritius claim to ownership when Sri Lanka looks closer and has not shown any interest in them?

  29. Denis Cooper
    January 20, 2025

    Somewhat off topic, I read in the Telegraph that US tariffs of 20% would cost the UK ÂŁ2.5 billion according to one estimate, and I wonder whether they know that in 2023 UK GDP was ÂŁ2535 billion and can divide one by the other.

    1. Denis Cooper
      January 20, 2025

      In a similar vein, looking for something else I happened across John Major giving a speech in 1992:

      https://johnmajorarchive.org.uk/1992/11/16/mr-majors-speech-to-the-lord-mayors-banquet-16-november-1992/

      “My Lord Mayor, you referred to the GATT round. I agree with you. It is vital we get an early and comprehensive settlement. It is not tolerable for the world to fail to agree. We cannot let a handful of oil seeds or a sack of grain get in the way of the boost such a settlement would give to the world economy. At a conservative estimate, it would add nearly 200 billion dollars to world output. Two hundred billion dollars of prosperity, income and jobs.”

      World GDP was $25.47 trillion in 1992 and $25.96 trillion in 1993, up by $490 billion through natural growth.

      1. Denis Cooper
        January 21, 2025

        And in the Telegraph editorial today:

        “As a mercantilist nation, Britain must trumpet the benefits of free trade, which generates growth, reduces poverty and ultimately makes everyone better off.”

        Firstly:

        https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mercantilism.asp

        “Mercantilism was an economic system of trade that spanned the 16th century to the 18th century. Mercantilism was based on the principle that the world’s wealth was static, and consequently, governments had to regulate trade to build their wealth and national power. Many European nations attempted to accumulate the largest possible share of that wealth by maximizing their exports and limiting their imports via tariffs.”

        Secondly, doing the opposite and comprehensively liberalising international trade is potentially one way to increase wealth but not the most effective; as shown above world GDP was already growing so fast before that GATT round was completed that its estimated benefits were achieved by about five months of natural growth.

        Thirdly, at any point over the past eight decades since the war a UK Prime Minister could have said:

        “It would be nice to free up trade with our neighbours in Europe, and we will certainly work towards that, but nobody should think that it would make a big difference to the growth of our overall economy”

        which would have been the truth, but none of them have ever said that; instead they have all pretended that our prosperity is crucially dependent on unimpeded trade with our neighbours when it is not. Why?

  30. glen cullen
    January 20, 2025

    I wonder if Trump has read this
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3776
    The Climate and Nature Bill has its second reading this week ……the end of Great Britain as we know it !!

  31. Ian B
    January 20, 2025

    From the MsM
    “Navin Ramgoolam has demanded that, deal or no deal, the Chagos Islands should return to Mauritian control.”

    There is no historical record of Mauritius ever being in control of the Chagos Islands some 2,000 km away. There is a tenuous link to a shared colonial past with France and the UK as the colonial rulers at on stage or another

  32. Ian B
    January 20, 2025

    Sir John
    If Donald Trump achieves half of what he wants to do straight way in the whole of his term in office he will send shivers and a warning to all the left-wing agitators that don’t truly understand that running a country is running a business. Maybe because they don’t understand management and working with people
    I would guess most of your contributors here would applaud if just a small percentage of what should happen, happens, as it will frighten the Uniparty and demonstrate how far and how out of touch they are by fighting and not serving, trying to rule by decree not working with, putting personal ideology and ego before Country. But as they have never had to manage what can you expect. UK.plc deserves better, USA.inc with someone that has run a business can show the way.

  33. Lynn Atkinson
    January 20, 2025

    Wow, an Inaugural Speech to beat them all. It trashed the Asylum Scam, the Climate Change Scam, the proposed Pandemic Scams, the Net Zero Scam, the Perpetual War Scam.
    Hillary Clinton almost spontaneously disintegrated.
    God Bless President Trump
    God help the U.K.!

    1. Mickey Taking
      January 20, 2025

      Yes, I thought if does 10% of what he states he will have exceeded the accomplishments of our last 6 PMs put together.
      I couldn’t imagine even one line of that speech being said by Starmer, and even worse he wouldn’t do it!

  34. agricola
    January 20, 2025

    Having witnessed the inaugeration of Donald Trump, I have only one question, what does it take, being closer to Washington than Hawaii, to become the next state of the USA.

    1. Mickey Taking
      January 21, 2025

      count me in!

  35. Ukret123
    January 20, 2025

    The resurrection of basic simple Common Sense or return to it e.g.
    Only 2 genders, strive to achieve greatness, create a positive vision, reduce barriers to growth, less tax and more unity, especially on Martin Luther King Day today.
    Also respect the generations that went before,especially the patriots.
    Protect our borders and in the vision of Teddy Roosevelt who followed William McKinley to our enemies “Speak softly but carry a big stick”.
    JFK challenge too aiming now for Mars!

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      January 21, 2025

      And the return of the Rule Of Law! đŸ‘đŸ»

  36. mancunius
    January 21, 2025

    ‘I respect the democratic judgement of US voters.’

    That is all very well if it really is their democratic judgement, and not the result of fraud (as happened in 2020 in the US) or the distortions of an electoral system (as in the UK, when the undemocratically chosen leader of one of two main parties commits electoral suicide, and the Opposition wins by default with a turnout of 50% and the support of only 20% of the electorate).
    Really, accept it you may, but there is absolutely nothing to ‘respect’ in either case.

  37. Peter Gardner
    January 22, 2025

    With wishes you could put Paris in a bottle. Fortunately Trump will put good relations above personal matters. Unfortunately Starmer’s gang is not as capable of dropping its dictatorial and dogmatic socialism.

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