Clegg says PM's knee-bending to Trump is cringey at Lib Dem conference

Former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg told Liberal Democrat delegates that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump is 'getting a bit embarrassing' and that the 'endless knee-bending' is 'slightly cringey,' as he urged the prime minister to 'speak up' for British values.

At the Bournemouth conference, Clegg criticized Downing Street's effort to cultivate a constructive relationship with Trump, arguing that diplomacy should be paired with candor on key issues. He pointed to Trump's three-day U.K. visit last week, which featured marching bands, a flypast by the Red Arrows and a state banquet at Windsor Castle, as a high-profile example of the current dynamic in U.S.-U.K. relations.

Clegg said that amid the pomp and circumstance some of the Trump administration's actions should have been called out, such as the United States’ lukewarm attitude toward NATO. He warned that a misreading of transatlantic ties has fed a belief that Britain does not have to choose between the U.S. and the European Union. 'That is rubbish on stilts,' he said, adding: 'We can't have our cake and eat it. We will have to choose.' Downing Street has argued the visit brought investment and a trade deal potential, while stressing the importance of balancing alliances.

Sir Keir has said the investment announced during the visit is 'boosting jobs and driving growth across the country,' adding: 'We are making change happen for working people.' Clegg acknowledged some gains but cautioned against becoming too dependent on the U.S. or its technology, arguing that the bilateral relationship is changing 'irrevocably' and that Britain should diversify its strategic and economic ties.

In another strand of his remarks, Clegg backed Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey in criticizing tech billionaire Elon Musk. He recalled Musk's comment at the Unite the Kingdom rally that protesters would have to 'fight back or you die' and called it an 'outrageous intrusion into our sovereignty.' Clegg spoke at an Institute for Government event, saying Musk's remarks reflected a broader challenge to national autonomy in the tech era.

Clegg noted that the Bournemouth conference would be the first Lib Dem gathering he had attended in a decade. He led the party from 2007 to 2015, a period that culminated in a coalition with the Conservatives and a heavy defeat in the 2015 general election. He has just returned from a seven-year stint in the United States, where he served as president of global affairs for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Reflecting on his decision to leave Meta, Clegg said he might have 'drunk the Kool-Aid a bit' and chose to depart because he no longer felt like 'an outsider' in Silicon Valley.

Asked whether he would consider returning to frontline politics, Sir Nick said: 'No.'

The Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth comes as observers monitor how Britain navigates its post-Brexit positioning and its evolving alignment with the United States, particularly as Trump remains a polarizing figure in U.S. politics and in global diplomacy. The remarks from Clegg underscore ongoing debate within the U.K. over how closely Britain should engage with Washington versus pursuing a more autonomous European and global role.