Starmer says Trump's Sharia claim about Khan is 'nonsense' as PM pledges frank talks with Trump
Labour leader backs London mayor Sadiq Khan and says U.S. president's remarks are ridiculous; UK-U.S. ties remain a priority
LONDON — Keir Starmer on Thursday dismissed Donald Trump's assertion that London Mayor Sadiq Khan seeks to impose Sharia law as 'nonsense', and the prime minister vowed to have frank talks with the U.S. president. Starmer, responding to Trump's remarks at the UN General Assembly in New York, called the comments ridiculous and said Khan has been an effective leader in the capital.
In an ITV London interview, Starmer said there are a few things we disagree about, and this is one of them. The idea of Sharia law is nonsense. And Sadiq Khan is a very good man and actually driving down serious crime. So, there’s a lot I agree with President Trump. We get along. We had a good state visit last week, but on this I disagree with him; the Sharia law comments were ridiculous.
He told ITV London that there would be a frank conversation about many issues with Trump, but he would express support for Khan and stressed that London benefits from having a Muslim mayor in a diverse city. The prime minister said the United Kingdom’s relationship with the United States remains crucial, and on issues where they agree, cooperation should continue.
Sir Sadiq Khan responded to the president’s remarks by accusing Trump of racism, sexism and Islamophobia. The prime minister declined to echo that characterization, saying he did not want to be drawn into a war of words and that he is proud of Khan’s leadership.
Keir Starmer emphasized that this clash over Khan should not derail broader ties with the White House. We are dealing with global affairs on an ongoing basis with America, our closest ally, he said. My team is working with their team; very few things we disagree on. But this is one; we will handle it through the proper channels and maintain a pragmatic, issue-based approach to the U.S. relationship.
The wider backdrop remains Trump’s UN General Assembly remarks in New York on Tuesday, when he criticized Khan as a 'terrible mayor' and said London’s leadership had been 'changed' and that the city now faces other social and security challenges. The prime minister’s comments, delivered in the shadow of that speech and amid the ongoing state relationship, underscored a cautious path forward focused on shared interests such as defense, security and intelligence cooperation.