Why party-loving Karen Pierce is key to reviving Starmer’s relationship with Trump

The morning after Donald Trump’s election, Britain’s top diplomat to the United States posted a photograph of herself wearing a wide-brimmed hat and orange dress, standing next to Trump in the Oval Office — presumably taken during his first administration. open image in gallery Pierce speaking at a Georgetown University conference in Washington DC, 2023 A foreign office official told me: “Karen is the diplomat’s diplomat. open image in gallery Pierce is made a Dame by the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace, 2019 After Trump survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally in July, Pierce impressed Starmer, fresh from being sworn in as the UK’s new prime minister, by arranging an introductory phone call between the two men – which in turn led to a two-hour dinner meeting. Farage is actually keen that there is a positive relationship between the UK and US, whoever is in power, so he might be more helpful than people realise.” open image in gallery Pierce welcomes then-UK prime minister Rishi Sunak as he arrives to meet President Biden The morning of election day, Pierce posted on X, formally known as Twitter, a tribute to Robin Renwick, British ambassador to the United States from 1991 to 1995, whose death had just been announced. “We always have had some quite serious differences – of opinion, of national interest – but those have always been enveloped within the fact that both nations depend on one another and a very strong alliance, a very strong security relationship and a very strong economic relationship, which I believe is in very good shape today.” On 20 January 2025, when Trump is handed the keys to the White House once more, it looks like it’ll be Pierce who will be responsible for ensuring that remains the case.