Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended the actions of Labour Party activists volunteering for Kamala Harris’s US presidential campaign after the Trump team filed a legal complaint accusing Labour of “blatant foreign interference.” Starmer insisted that his relationship with Donald Trump remains strong despite the controversy, emphasizing that the volunteers acted independently and were not representing the Labour Party in any official capacity.
The Trump campaign’s legal complaint, sent to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), alleges that Labour officials, including high-ranking advisors, have been actively supporting Harris’s campaign in swing states like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Virginia. The complaint accuses Labour of violating US campaign finance laws by contributing “illegal foreign national support” to Trump’s Democratic rival.
The complaint was spurred by media reports and a now-deleted LinkedIn post by Sofia Patel, Labour’s director of operations, which suggested that the party was organizing the activists’ trips and might be covering their accommodation costs. “Those searching for foreign interference in our elections need to look no further than [the] LinkedIn post,” stated the complaint, written by Trump campaign lawyer Gary Lawkowski.
During his flight to the annual Commonwealth summit in Samoa, Starmer addressed the issue directly, telling reporters that Labour volunteers in the US were acting independently and had not been sent or funded by the party. “The Labour Party has volunteers who have gone over pretty much every election,” he explained. “They’re doing it in their spare time, they’re doing it as volunteers, staying with other volunteers over there. That’s what they’ve done in previous elections, and that’s what they’re doing in this election.”
Starmer sought to downplay the potential fallout of the Trump team’s legal action, stating that it would not impact his ability to maintain a “good relationship” with the former US president. “I spent time in New York with President Trump, had dinner with him, and established a positive rapport. We had a constructive discussion, and I appreciate him making the time,” Starmer said. “As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I will work with whoever the American people elect.”
The Trump campaign’s complaint has drawn comparisons to a 2016 incident in which the Australian Labor Party was fined by the FEC for sending delegates to support Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid. In that case, the ALP covered travel and living expenses for their volunteers, leading to a $14,500 fine for both the party and the Sanders campaign. Trump’s legal team has called for an investigation into whether Labour’s actions this year echo that earlier case.
According to the complaint, Labour officials, including Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and director of communications Matthew Doyle, have recently travelled to the US to advise the Harris campaign. This, combined with Patel’s deleted LinkedIn post, has fueled the allegations of organized and illegal foreign support. The post claimed that almost 100 Labour members were travelling to the US to volunteer, and promised that “we will sort your housing,” raising questions about who was funding their efforts.
In a scathing statement on the Trump campaign’s website, the Labour Party was described as a “far-left” group that has inspired Harris’s “dangerously liberal policies and rhetoric.” Trump’s team demanded an immediate investigation, claiming that such support violates US election rules. The statement even referenced the Battle of Yorktown, mocking Labour’s involvement in US politics and suggesting that “the Labour Party and the Harris for President campaign have forgotten the message” of American independence.
Labour has consistently maintained that its activists’ involvement in the US election is neither organized nor funded by the party. A spokesperson reiterated that any Labour officials campaigning in the US are doing so as private citizens on their own time, and not at the behest of the party leadership. “Labour Party members have a long history of volunteering in international elections, and they do so independently,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the escalating tensions, Starmer remains confident that his rapport with Trump will endure. The prime minister recalled his meeting with Trump in New York earlier this year, highlighting Trump’s warm remarks about him, including praise for his leadership during the UK elections. “He called me a ‘very nice man’ and said I ‘ran a great race,’ and that won’t change just because of this,” Starmer said.
The US election is set to be held on November 5, with Kamala Harris running a tight race against Trump. As the campaigns heat up, international involvement has become a flashpoint, particularly given Trump’s focus on sovereignty and foreign influence. Starmer’s defence of Labour volunteers will likely be scrutinized further in the coming days, but for now, he is standing firm on the issue.
