Trump taunts drive Starmer into EU’s arms

Trump taunts drive Starmer into EU’s arms

Author: Financial Times April 2, 2026 Duration: 41:03

Donald Trump has heaped insults on Sir Keir Starmer in recent weeks over his stance on the Iran war. The US president labelled the UK prime minister “no Winston Churchill”, said Britain’s aircraft carriers were mere “toys” and told Britain to “go get your own oil” from the Gulf. So perhaps it’s unsurprising that the PM appears to be pivoting heavily towards the EU. Host Lucy Fisher unpicks the shift with colleagues Jim Pickard, Anna Gross and Robert Shrimsley. They also discuss how the Middle East conflict will play out in the upcoming local elections.

Have a question for the panel? We’re planning a question and answer episode. Email your questions to politicalfix@ft.com

Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, and Bluesky: @lucyfisher.ft.com; Robert: @robertshrimsley and @robertshrimsley.bsky.social; Jim @PickardJE and @pickardje.bsky.social and Anna @AnnaSophieGross & @annasophiegross.bsky.social



Want more? 


Keir Starmer signals major UK pivot towards EU after Donald Trump’s taunts

Lessons from history on how to survive a fuel crisis

Cracks appear in US-UK security co-operation after Trump-Starmer tensions

Starmer strikes upbeat note amid dismal polling ahead of May 7 local elections

Political drama reaches heart of UK’s nuclear deterrent

Hammering Farage-Trump links could suppress Reform’s poll lead



Sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek. Get 30 days free.


Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Clare Williamson. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music by Breen Turner, mix by Sean McGarrity. The broadcast engineers were Andrew Giorgiades and Petros Gioumpasis. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of Audio.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Every Friday, the team behind Political Fix gathers to make sense of the week's political turbulence. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep, often lively conversation that pulls back the curtain on how decisions are really made in Westminster and beyond. You'll hear from the Financial Times journalists who are actually there, in the corridors and committee rooms, paired with expert voices who provide crucial context. Together, they untangle complex policy debates, analyse the shifting alliances, and question the strategies defining Britain's future. The result is a clear-eyed, authoritative look at the forces shaping the nation, delivered with the FT's signature rigor and insight. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining access to a private briefing, one that prioritizes substance over noise. It’s for anyone who wants to move past the soundbites and understand the real stories and personalities driving the political agenda. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and essential perspective on a landscape that never stops moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Fix
Podcast Episodes
Starmer's superpower: soft power? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:53
Maga arrived in Chipping Norton this week, heralding an intense round of British diplomacy ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on Friday. Ukraine is top of the agenda and both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and foreig…
Introducing Swamp Notes: The real cost of gutting USAID [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:04
Political Fix is on a break this week. In its absence, we're taking the opportunity to introduce you to its sister podcast, Swamp Notes, the weekly US politics podcast from the Financial Times. Six months after the Trump…
Why Starmer changed his mind about Palestinian statehood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:31
Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly. The decision comes after some Labour MPs and cabinet ministers accused him of being too slow to respond to the G…
One year in opposition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:58
As MPs head back to their constituencies for the summer, the Political Fix panel reflects on the year in opposition for Kemi Badenoch and her Conservative party. Host George Parker is joined by Robert Shrimsley to discus…
The Afghan files: the inside story on the catastrophic leak [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:12
One of the gravest security lapses in UK history came to light this week after a judge lifted a superinjunction on a catastrophic data leak that could have affected 100,000 Afghans, as well as British spies and special f…
Resetting Franco-British relations: the cross-channel contract [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:23
Emmanuel Macron made his state visit to the UK this week – the first EU leader to do so since Brexit. It heralded a reset between France and Britain, dubbed the ‘entente amicale’ by King Charles. Macron and Starmer annou…
A year of Keir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:29
This week marks a year of Keir Starmer’s government. But if Labour was expecting to celebrate the anniversary – it didn't pan out that way. Despite claiming a narrow victory with the contentious welfare bill, the governm…
Starmer’s welfare woes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:10
Sir Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion from within his own party this week after scores of MPs opposed changes to make it tougher to collect some disability benefits. This episode — recorded just before the prime minist…
Starmer on standby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:10
Will he? Won’t he? President Donald Trump has given little indication as to whether America will join in the conflict between Israel and Iran. So where does this leave the UK and its assets in the region? How does the pr…
Reeves sets Labour’s course – but what will it deliver? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:49
Labour’s long-awaited spending review dropped this week. Rachel Reeves unveiled funding settlements for government departments – and a newly upbeat tone after the gloomy promise of hard times in her previous Commons set…