Trump trouble: Starmer's tricky start to 2026

Trump trouble: Starmer's tricky start to 2026

Author: Financial Times January 9, 2026 Duration: 34:12

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had wanted to kick off the new year with a strong domestic start, tackling the cost of living crisis head on, in the hopes of improving his dire poll ratings. Instead, he has found himself firefighting on the international front, trying to navigate Donald Trump’s foreign policy frenzy.


How will Starmer manage his ‘special relationship’ with the US president in light of recent events? Where do Trump’s latest actions leave Nato, especially with regard to Ukraine? And what does all this global uncertainty mean for the Labour leader’s agenda at home?


Host George Parker discusses the balancing act facing the government with the FT’s deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and acting Whitehall correspondent David Sheppard.


Follow George, Miranda, Robert & David 


Want more? 

Strategic supplication is Europe’s only Trump policy

France and UK commit to deploying troops under proposed Ukraine peace deal

UK armed forces warn of £28bn defence funding shortfall

Greenland’s future must be decided by island and Denmark, Starmer warns Trump

‘Not in my name’: Labour’s new towns battle


And 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 analysis. 

Get 30 days free.


Political Fix was presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth and Julia Webster. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound engineering by Simon Panayi. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio.


What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com


Clip from UK Parliament

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
Facing down a fiscal firestorm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:51
UK chancellor Rachel Reeves has had an action-packed week. She made a U-turn on winter fuel payments, announced plans to spend billions of pounds on new transport schemes and, following the prime minister’s latest announ…
Coming soon: The Wolf-Krugman Exchange [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:08
In a special six-part series of The Economics Show, Martin Wolf, the FT’s chief economics commentator, and Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman discuss the economic events reshaping the world in the wake of US Pres…
Who’s afraid of Nigel Farage? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:19
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Reform party leader Nigel Farage clashed on economic issues this week. Farage said his party was the champion of the working class, while Starmer warned Farage’s proposed spending rises am…
Is Labour’s post-Brexit reset a victory or a betrayal? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:00
The UK and EU announced a historic deal to ‘reset’ their relationship this week. Keir Starmer called the deal a “win-win”, while a “gobsmacked” Kemi Badenoch labelled it a “surrender”. Who’s right? Host George Parker is…
Labour's immigration crackdown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:38
It’s been another turbulent week for Labour after Keir Starmer announced a crackdown on legal migration. The prime minister gave what has since become a controversial speech suggesting the UK is at risk of becoming an “i…
Ask Political Fix: Trade, tax and leftwing pacts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:56
Our first Q&A special episode is finally here! You sent in questions, now our panel answers them. Is the UK-US trade deal worth the paper it’s signed on? Could the UK benefit from a brain drain from the US? Is there any…
Local elections special: end of the two-party duopoly? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:28
This week, we’ve seen Reform UK trounce Labour and the Conservatives across England in local elections. Nigel Farage’s party has secured a fifth MP, clinched two mayorships and seized control of at least seven councils.I…
Reform on the march? Our local elections guide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:51
Ahead of England’s local elections next week, the Political Fix team pick the races to watch and what’s at stake for the main parties, as voters head to the polls to elect 1,600-odd councillors, six mayors and one new MP…
What is a ‘woman’ in law? The Supreme Court ruling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:11
The UK Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling this week about the legal definition of a woman in equality legislation. Judges ruled that a woman is someone who is born biologically female. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by t…
Markets or Trump: who’s in charge? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:03
The markets have gone haywire since Donald Trump’s announcement — and then pause— of a host of new US tariffs. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars George Parker and Miranda Green, plus FT markets columni…