Keir Starmer has publicly acknowledged that Donald Trump’s stream of personal insults is a deliberate pressure tactic, telling MPs he is “not going to be wavering” regardless of what the US president says or posts online — even as Trump shared a satirical sketch portraying the Prime Minister as a panic-stricken coward too frightened to pick up the phone.
Appearing before the Liaison Committee on Monday, Sir Keir was asked by chair Meg Hillier how he copes with Trump’s “rude comments” and the sense of dealing with what she described as “different presidents on different days of the week.” The Prime Minister’s response was measured. “A lot of what is said and done is undoubtedly said and done to put pressure on me,” he told MPs. “I have no doubt about that. I understand exactly what is going on. But I am not going to be wavering on this.”
The session came hours after the two leaders held a 20-minute telephone call on Iran and the ongoing crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. Downing Street described the conversation as “constructive”, though it remains unclear whether Trump’s string of public mockery was raised directly. Shortly before the call, the president had shared a clip from the British version of Saturday Night Live on his Truth Social platform, in which a comedian portraying Sir Keir is depicted cowering in Downing Street, too terrified to speak to Trump about the war. “What if Donald shouts at me?” the fictional Prime Minister asks his deputy. “I just hate conflict so much,” he later admits, adding: “I’ll say anything, I’ll do anything, except take a stand.”
Despite the theatre, a significant development emerged as Trump announced a dramatic five-day ceasefire, posting in his customary all-capitals style that “productive” talks had been held with the Iranian regime. Oil markets responded immediately, with prices falling below $100 a barrel — a sharp relief rally reflecting how severely the conflict has disrupted global energy supply. Iran had not formally responded to the ceasefire announcement at the time of writing, and whether the Strait of Hormuz will reopen remains uncertain.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Sir Keir for what he regards as insufficient commitment to the US-Israeli campaign, branding him “no Churchill” and “disappointing”, and labelling NATO allies — Britain included — “cowards” for declining to send warships to the strait. Polling, however, suggests the British public broadly shares the Prime Minister’s caution, with surveys indicating deep unease about direct involvement in the conflict. An Opinium poll released over the weekend showed Sir Keir’s personal approval ratings had risen by 11 points since the strikes began, though they remain at historically low levels.
The UK has authorised American forces to conduct defensive operations from British military installations, including Diego Garcia, and on Friday Sir Keir extended that permission to cover actions aimed at reopening the strait. However, Government sources were careful to draw a line, making clear Britain has not sanctioned any strikes on civilian infrastructure — a potential flashpoint given Trump’s threat to “obliterate” Iranian power plants if the waterway is not fully reopened.
The British version of Saturday Night Live aired for the first time on Sky this weekend, running to 75-minute episodes in a format mirroring the long-running NBC original, which has been broadcast in the United States since 1975.
