There's a deep, transatlantic contrast between the bombastic billionaire Donald Trump and the bespectacled human rights lawyer Sir Keir Starmer, on a political and a personal level. Despite the so-called "special relationship" it's clearly going to be an uphill battle for the British PM to forge a productive relationship with the incoming president, but he has no choice but to do so.
Politics latest: Trump 'within his right' to make statement on tariffs. The papers today are full of briefings about the difficulties ahead. The Mail on Sunday claims Sir Keir Starmer would be at the "back of the queue" for a visit to the White House (in contrast to Theresa May's highly awkward appearance after just seven days), claiming "he will have to eat humble pie" before receiving an invitation.
According to The Independent, sources in the Trump campaign suggest that the President-elect is considering rejecting Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, an almost unprecedented move that would be a huge diplomatic insult. Labour figures have been doing their best to downplay these reports, with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones telling Sky News "I doubt very much that's going to happen", adding that the claims are "probably being propagated by some politicians that would like to cause a bit of a nuisance.".
