A very long piece in the Mail online today, basically confirming what I posted earlier but obviously much more eloquently.😽I have copied the most relevant points but the full article is worth reading. Labour's rank amateurishness in its call to arms against Trump is unforgivable. And if he wins the US election there'll be a price to payThere are some basic rules in foreign policy obvious even to the most half-witted politician.One is that you can never be seen to interfere in any way in the elections of a democratic country. You don't state preferences about any of the candidates, and you don't try to influence the outcome.This cardinal rule has been spectacularly broken by the Labour Party, which has enraged Donald Trump by apparently lending support to his rival, Kamala Harris, in the presidential campaign.Labour denies it has done any such thing, pointing out that its activists have often travelled at their own expense to help Democratic Party candidates in previous elections.Maybe. But the Trump camp has unearthed a LinkedIn post from Sofia Patel, Labour's head of operations, encouraging 'party staff' to 'help our friends across the pond elect their first female President'. Activists were invited to send Ms Patel an email. She added that she would be going to America for the final two weeks of the campaign.What is this if not a call to Labour activists to roll up their sleeves on behalf of Kamala Harris? It would matter less if the post – which has been deleted as Labour desperately tries to cover its tracks – had come from an obscure underling.But the head of operations is an important figure. She represents Labour. Ms Patel's message is that activists should do whatever they can to defeat Donald Trump. This looks like a blatant attempt by the governing party to influence the election.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Deborah Mattinson, until recently Starmer's director of strategy, went to Washington last month to tell Ms Harris's team how Labour had won the election. I imagine her key advice was not on any account to tell the electorate what you really intend to do.It's typical of Labour to say it wants one thing, and then act in a way likely to stop that happening. The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, declares that economic growth is a priority. And yet she is reportedly intending to yank up employer's National Insurance contributions by some £15 billion, which will assuredly stifle growth.So it is with Trump. Starmer and Lammy say they would do business with him. They treat him in a friendly way, while doubtless crossing their fingers behind their backs. Even after the brouhaha caused by the head of operations yesterday, the Prime Minister fondly recalled the dinner he had with Trump, and maintained that they had 'a good relationship'.No longer, I suggest – if they ever did. Trump isn't a fool. He can see that the overtures by Labour are essentially insincere, and that its true feelings for him are decidedly antagonistic.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-13996199/STEPHEN-GLOVER-Labour-Trump-election.html?ito=native_share_article-nativemenubutton
Sue Hammond ● 2d