Sir Keir Starmer is still waiting to receive a phone call with Donald Trump following the 47th President's inauguration on Monday.
Trump, who finally returned to the Oval Office after his thumping victory in November, has already reached out to a number of global leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, El Salvador's leader Nayib Bukele and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Prime Minister's deputy official spokesman appeared to issue a plea for Trump to call Starmer ahead of an expected visit to Washington.
He said: "The Prime Minister would welcome the opportunity to speak to President Trump at the earliest opportunity and they had a productive meeting in September and subsequent positive phone calls in recent months and he looks forward to speaking to him soon."
When challenged on whether it was unusual that no phone call had taken place, the deputy official spokesman replied: “I wouldn’t accept that characterisation.
Trump's predecessor Joe Biden spoke to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson just three days after his 2021 inauguration.
Theresa May also jetted out to Washington within a week of Trump's first stint in the White House in 2017.
However, Starmer last saw Trump for a three-hour dinner alongside Foreign Secretary David Lammy in September.
Despite the pair calling on December 18, much has been made of the fractured relationship between Trump and Starmer's Labour.
Lord Glasman, who was the only Labour figure invited to Trump's inauguration, detailed some of the challenges facing the Prime Minister.
He told PoliticsHome: “I’m obviously trying to communicate with them as best I can.
"I’m not expecting them to do cartwheels when the Prime Minister wasn’t invited, the Foreign Secretary wasn’t.
"It’s a difficult moment for them, and I’m just doing my best to represent Labour and the Government in the way that I can… They want an alliance with the UK, à la Churchill or Thatcher… They are looking for the government to be their partner, but they don’t see any indication that they are.”
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Reform and the Conservatives will have to come to some sort of arrangement if neither can come out on top, according to a top Conservative peer.
Lord Frost, the former Conservative minister who negotiated Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, also said that Tory and Reform politicians should stop trying to "rubbish" each other in public.
The comments from Lord Frost, the former Brexit negotiator, come after former Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman suggested that the Tories and Reform UK had to unite to defeat Labour.
Frost told today's Chopper's Political Podcast that the two parties had to agree on a deal to work together before the election if neither came out on top.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Sir Keir Starmer's official spokesman has seemingly ruled out a reintroduction of the death penalty.
Speaking after Reform UK MPs demanded a debate on capital punishment, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said there are "no plans" to look at reintroducing the punishment.
He said: "Parliament abolished the death penalty more than 50 years ago and in free votes has consistently voted against it being restored in recent decades."
European leaders are urging Sir Keir Starmer to join a €500billion (£420billion) rearmament scheme funded by common debt.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is leading calls for the UK to join the group, arguing: "We shouldn’t really care too much about what method we adopt to finance."
He added: “There is no alternative to this: Europe must start defending itself and so it must start spending European money on this as well."
Defence Secretary John Healey has issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Healey, who confirmed the Royal Navy is monitoring a Russian spy ship after it was spotted around UK waters earlier this week, said: "We see you."
He added: "We know what you're doing and we will act."
Attorney General Lord Hermer helped the Treasury unfreeze the assets of an al-Qaeda terror suspect linked to a London bomb plot.
Mohammed al-Ghabra, who was connected with a foiled plot just weeks after the 2005 7/7 attacks, is still sanctioned in Britain and America.
However, al-Ghabra was convicted of any offence and always denied wrongdoing.
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has been urged to sack Neil Gray after the Health Secretary was accused of misleading MSPs over football matches he attended using his ministerial limousine.
Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, said the First Minister should “show some leadership by sending Neil Gray in a chauffeur-driven limo to pick up his P45”.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar used First Minister’s Questions to highlight record waiting lists and said Gray “should be sacked for mismanaging our NHS, not just misleading Parliament”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has instructed her former Cabinet colleague Liz Truss to keep quiet during a meeting last week.
Speaking to her Shadow Cabinet, the Leader of the Opposition suggested the former Prime Minister should “shut up for a while” and “stop making unhelpful interventions”.
Despite four sources confirming comments were made about Truss, Badenoch's spokesman said she did not use the phrase “shut up”.
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Trump, who finally returned to the Oval Office after his thumping victory in November, has already reached out to a number of global leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, El Salvador's leader Nayib Bukele and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Prime Minister's deputy official spokesman appeared to issue a plea for Trump to call Starmer ahead of an expected visit to Washington.
He said: "The Prime Minister would welcome the opportunity to speak to President Trump at the earliest opportunity and they had a productive meeting in September and subsequent positive phone calls in recent months and he looks forward to speaking to him soon."
When challenged on whether it was unusual that no phone call had taken place, the deputy official spokesman replied: “I wouldn’t accept that characterisation.
Trump's predecessor Joe Biden spoke to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson just three days after his 2021 inauguration.
Theresa May also jetted out to Washington within a week of Trump's first stint in the White House in 2017.
However, Starmer last saw Trump for a three-hour dinner alongside Foreign Secretary David Lammy in September.
Despite the pair calling on December 18, much has been made of the fractured relationship between Trump and Starmer's Labour.
Lord Glasman, who was the only Labour figure invited to Trump's inauguration, detailed some of the challenges facing the Prime Minister.
He told PoliticsHome: “I’m obviously trying to communicate with them as best I can.
"I’m not expecting them to do cartwheels when the Prime Minister wasn’t invited, the Foreign Secretary wasn’t.
"It’s a difficult moment for them, and I’m just doing my best to represent Labour and the Government in the way that I can… They want an alliance with the UK, à la Churchill or Thatcher… They are looking for the government to be their partner, but they don’t see any indication that they are.”
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…
'We can't let Labour win again,' Lord Frost warns - as Reform and Tories 'must form alliance' if split on Right opens door to Starmer victory
Reform and the Conservatives will have to come to some sort of arrangement if neither can come out on top, according to a top Conservative peer.
Lord Frost, the former Conservative minister who negotiated Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, also said that Tory and Reform politicians should stop trying to "rubbish" each other in public.
The comments from Lord Frost, the former Brexit negotiator, come after former Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman suggested that the Tories and Reform UK had to unite to defeat Labour.
Frost told today's Chopper's Political Podcast that the two parties had to agree on a deal to work together before the election if neither came out on top.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
'No plans!' Starmer rules out reintroducing death penalty
Sir Keir Starmer's official spokesman has seemingly ruled out a reintroduction of the death penalty.
Speaking after Reform UK MPs demanded a debate on capital punishment, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said there are "no plans" to look at reintroducing the punishment.
He said: "Parliament abolished the death penalty more than 50 years ago and in free votes has consistently voted against it being restored in recent decades."
EU leaders pressure UK to join defence scheme after Trump Nato row
European leaders are urging Sir Keir Starmer to join a €500billion (£420billion) rearmament scheme funded by common debt.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is leading calls for the UK to join the group, arguing: "We shouldn’t really care too much about what method we adopt to finance."
He added: “There is no alternative to this: Europe must start defending itself and so it must start spending European money on this as well."
Defence Secretary issues stern warning to Putin - 'We see you!'
Defence Secretary John Healey has issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Healey, who confirmed the Royal Navy is monitoring a Russian spy ship after it was spotted around UK waters earlier this week, said: "We see you."
He added: "We know what you're doing and we will act."
Attorney General 'helped' unfreeze Islamic terror suspect's assets
Attorney General Lord Hermer helped the Treasury unfreeze the assets of an al-Qaeda terror suspect linked to a London bomb plot.
Mohammed al-Ghabra, who was connected with a foiled plot just weeks after the 2005 7/7 attacks, is still sanctioned in Britain and America.
However, al-Ghabra was convicted of any offence and always denied wrongdoing.
Swinney urged to sack 'disgraced' Scottish Health Secretary
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has been urged to sack Neil Gray after the Health Secretary was accused of misleading MSPs over football matches he attended using his ministerial limousine.
Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, said the First Minister should “show some leadership by sending Neil Gray in a chauffeur-driven limo to pick up his P45”.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar used First Minister’s Questions to highlight record waiting lists and said Gray “should be sacked for mismanaging our NHS, not just misleading Parliament”.
'Shut up!' Badenoch instructs 'unhelpful' ex-PM Truss to keep quiet
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has instructed her former Cabinet colleague Liz Truss to keep quiet during a meeting last week.
Speaking to her Shadow Cabinet, the Leader of the Opposition suggested the former Prime Minister should “shut up for a while” and “stop making unhelpful interventions”.
Despite four sources confirming comments were made about Truss, Badenoch's spokesman said she did not use the phrase “shut up”.
Find Out More...