Impromptu conversation happened as PM was with US president’s recent appointee Mark Burnett, says No 10. Donald Trump has spoken to Keir Starmer again after what appears to have been a spur-of-the-moment phone call from the US president that was not expected by the British prime minister and his team. News of the call, which took place on Thursday evening, emerged in a Downing Street statement about Starmer’s meeting with Mark Burnett, the British TV producer who Trump has appointed as special envoy to the UK.
Amid details of the pair’s conversation, the No 10 statement said Starmer “took a call from President Trump and discussed his forthcoming visit to the US”. It gave no further details, but a No 10 source described the call as “impromptu” and unexpected. It is understood that Trump knew the meeting was taking place, and had an assistant place a call to a mobile phone in the room. It is not clear if this belonged to someone on the UK side, or Burnett or another US official.
The call, which once again emphasised the often unexpected and freewheeling approach to diplomacy embraced by Trump and his White House, is believed to have been brief and only took in Starmer’s hope to visit the US soon for a formal meeting with Trump. It will nonetheless be welcomed by No 10, which hopes that Starmer’s tentative if so far warm relationship with Trump, who has praised the prime minister, could lead to the UK potentially escaping further tariffs or other penalties from an often capricious US administration. The pair spoke more formally by phone last month.
Trump appointed Burnett to his slightly vague role in December. The TV producer has been responsible for a series of hit US shows, notably The Apprentice, which gave Trump renewed prominence and arguably paved the way for his political career. Burnett also created or produced shows such as Survivor, Shark Tank, The Voice. “Mr Burnett and the prime minister agreed on the unique and special nature of the UK-US relationship, the strength of our alliance and the warmth of the connection between the two countries,” the No 10 statement said.
