David Lammy has refused to apologise for calling Donald Trump a "Nazi sympathiser" in the wake of the 45th President's electoral success this week.
The Foreign Secretary was pushed on whether he thought Trump had changed since he labelled him a "woman-hating, neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath" six years ago.
On social media, the Tottenham MP had written: "Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath...he is also a profound threat to the international order that has been the foundation of Western progress for so long."
And the year prior, he said: "Yes, if Trump comes to the UK, I will be out protesting on the streets. He is a racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser."
But speaking on the BBC’s Newscast podcast, Lammy threw out his own statements as "old news".
He said he had made in-roads with Trump in September because he "felt it in my bones" that he would return to the White House.
He told the broadcaster: "My gut had been telling me, but also my head had been telling me, that they were in a strong position.
"I think that what you say as a backbencher and what you do wearing the real duty of public office are two different things.
"And I am Foreign Secretary. There are things I know now that I didn't know back then."
He added: "You don't get to be a senior politician in our country unless you can find common ground. I'm well known in Westminster. I get along with folk. I just do!"
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Reform UK have won yet another council by-election, exactly one week after Nigel Farage's party sent a warning shot to Labour in Wolverhampton.
Last night, Reform won the Marsh Mill ward seat in Wyre, Lancashire - ousting the incumbent Conservative councillor by more than 100 seats.
James Crawford surged to victory with a 38.6 per cent vote share in the party's first attempt in Marsh Mill, which saw Labour and the Tories suffer a -15 per cent and -27.2 per cent slump respectively.
Last week, when Anita Stanley won in Wolverhampton, party chairman Zia Yusuf called the result as a "stunning victory" and said it proved no Labour seat was safe, while the Tories were falling "even further behind".
"Reform is rapidly opening local branches and assembling its ground campaigning capabilities... By the time of the English county council elections in May, Reform will be a formidable electoral force," he vowed.
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The Foreign Secretary was pushed on whether he thought Trump had changed since he labelled him a "woman-hating, neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath" six years ago.
On social media, the Tottenham MP had written: "Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath...he is also a profound threat to the international order that has been the foundation of Western progress for so long."
And the year prior, he said: "Yes, if Trump comes to the UK, I will be out protesting on the streets. He is a racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser."
But speaking on the BBC’s Newscast podcast, Lammy threw out his own statements as "old news".
He said he had made in-roads with Trump in September because he "felt it in my bones" that he would return to the White House.
He told the broadcaster: "My gut had been telling me, but also my head had been telling me, that they were in a strong position.
"I think that what you say as a backbencher and what you do wearing the real duty of public office are two different things.
"And I am Foreign Secretary. There are things I know now that I didn't know back then."
He added: "You don't get to be a senior politician in our country unless you can find common ground. I'm well known in Westminster. I get along with folk. I just do!"
FOLLOW BELOW FOR MORE LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY...
Reform UK surge to ANOTHER council victory as Farage's party unseats Tories
Reform UK have won yet another council by-election, exactly one week after Nigel Farage's party sent a warning shot to Labour in Wolverhampton.
Last night, Reform won the Marsh Mill ward seat in Wyre, Lancashire - ousting the incumbent Conservative councillor by more than 100 seats.
James Crawford surged to victory with a 38.6 per cent vote share in the party's first attempt in Marsh Mill, which saw Labour and the Tories suffer a -15 per cent and -27.2 per cent slump respectively.
Last week, when Anita Stanley won in Wolverhampton, party chairman Zia Yusuf called the result as a "stunning victory" and said it proved no Labour seat was safe, while the Tories were falling "even further behind".
"Reform is rapidly opening local branches and assembling its ground campaigning capabilities... By the time of the English county council elections in May, Reform will be a formidable electoral force," he vowed.
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Welcome back to GB News' Politics LIVE blog.
We'll be updating this page throughout the day with live political updates as they come in.
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