Starmer hoping to meet Trump and Harris during US visit

Prime Minister wants to build bridges with both candidates ahead of US election

Sir Keir Starmer has said that he hopes to meet both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris ahead of the US election in November.
The Prime Minister said that it would be “very good” to hold talks with the Republican and Democrat candidates for the White House. 
He made the remarks as he headed to New York to speak at the UN General Assembly on Thursday.  
No 10 is understood to be trying to set up meetings with both politicians whilst Sir Keir is in the United States this week. 
The Prime Minister said: “As far as the candidates are concerned, if possible, it would be very good to meet both of them at some stage before the election.
“We’ll just have to see what’s possible.”
Sir Keir has made concerted efforts to build bridges with both camps ahead of the US election, which will take place on Nov 5. 
He was the first world leader to phone Mr Trump after the assassination attempt on the former US president’s life in July. 
Labour has naturally close ties with the Democrats, a fellow Left-wing party, with Ms Harris adopting some of Sir Keir’s election strategy. 
The Prime Minister headed to the UN summit with a declaration that Britain is “returning to responsible global leadership” under his administration. 
He said that talks with fellow world leaders are set to focus on the response to the situation in Israel and Lebanon as well as the Ukraine war.
“I think what will dominate is the Middle East and recent developments and, of course, Ukraine,” Sir Keir said.
“So I think that’ll be pretty central. And it will be really important for us to have the conversations with our allies about the situation in both of those areas.”
Sir Keir will use his speech to the assembly on Thursday to suggest that other countries had lost faith in the UK as an international partner under the Tories.
He will say: “We are returning the UK to responsible global leadership. This is the moment to reassert fundamental principles and our willingness to defend them. To recommit to the UN, to internationalism, to the rule of law. 
“Because I know that this matters to the British people. War, poverty and climate change all rebound on us at home. They make us less secure, they harm our economy, and they create migration flows on an unprecedented scale.  
“The British people are safer and more prosperous when we work internationally to solve these problems, instead of merely trying to manage their effects. So, the responsible global leadership that we will pursue is undeniably in our self-interest.”