"Britain Must Change" - The Political Climate in London Shaken by Trump's Second Term: The Impact of the Trump Administration on the UK and Prime Minister Starmer's Challenge

"Britain Must Change" - The Political Climate in London Shaken by Trump's Second Term: The Impact of the Trump Administration on the UK and Prime Minister Starmer's Challenge

"When did the UK become a country that talks like this?" This remark from a political watcher in London aptly captures the current atmosphere. President Trump has entered his second term, and the first year has passed. What should have been a year of events in the US is gradually expanding the "acceptable range" of political language and policy in the UK.


1) "A Year of Trump" Shifts the UK's Focus

In recent years, the term "Overton Window" (the range of policies and rhetoric accepted as mainstream) has become frequently used in UK politics. What is happening now is a shift where phrases and policies favored by the right-wing and hardliners are beginning to be treated not as "unthinkable" but as "one of the options."


A symbolic example is immigration and refugee policy. The Starmer administration, considered center-left, has visibly strengthened measures against refugees and illegal residents, pressured by the right-wing anti-immigration party (Reform Party). The government deliberately broadcasts images of a "strong state," such as arrests, detentions, fingerprinting, and interrogations. What once would have clashed with the self-image of a "humane and lawful country" is now easily consumed as symbols of "getting things done" and "restoring order."


Similar changes are occurring in climate policy and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). While the banner of decarbonization has not been lowered, "adjustments" and "reviews" are more easily justified for reasons of growth, burden, and living experience, and companies are also rephrasing their policies from the perspectives of "avoiding backlash" and "political risk management." Here, the Trump-style "culture war" type of issue overlap.


2) The Benefits and Side Effects of Appeasing the US

Initially, Prime Minister Starmer strengthened a line of "not provoking" and "taking practical benefits" with President Trump. Minimizing tariff and trade friction and reducing alliance rifts—practically, it is rational. In fact, it has been reported that the UK has established the "first deal," and the Prime Minister's aides are eager to tout it as an "achievement."


But there are side effects. If the counterpart is the type that wants to boast concessions as achievements, a gentle attitude is easily read as "there's more to gain." Furthermore, if Trump continues to openly rebuke allies, issues like "the dangers of US dependency" and "sovereignty and territorial issues" erupt as emotionally charged topics within the UK.


3) Greenland and the Chagos Islands—"Verbal Bombs" Fly

At the center of this eruption is a series of commotions over Greenland and the Chagos Islands (Diego Garcia base). Trump criticized the UK's move to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands with strong words like "weakness" and "stupidity," linking it to the justification for acquiring Greenland. The UK explains it as a framework to secure long-term operation of the joint base, but Trump's posts spread as a simple and provocative narrative of "the UK is giving up a strategic point."


The impact of this "simplification" is significant. The UK opposition Conservative Party and Reform Party find it easier to use this issue as "domestic attack material" rather than for US cooperation. As a result, domestic political contests take precedence over delicate diplomatic balances. Trump's words raise the temperature of the UK parliament and public opinion by several degrees.


4) Afghanistan Remarks—Stimulating the "Memory" of the Alliance

What further shook the alliance sentiment was Trump's remarks regarding NATO countries' involvement in Afghanistan. In the UK, the memory of numerous casualties remains vivid. The Prime Minister reacted strongly, and Trump later attempted to "extinguish the fire" by posting praise for British soldiers. However, whether it was an apology, correction, or mere patch-up, opinions were divided, revealing the ease with which the emotional foundation of the alliance can be troubled.


5) SNS Reactions: Political Messaging as "Fuel for Domestic Conflict"

 


A notable feature this time is that diplomatic and security issues are optimized for short texts and excerpts on SNS.


Truth Social (Trump's Posts)
Trump's strong rhetoric first spreads as the "impact of the original text." Capital letters, assertions, and binary opposition. The longer the UK's explanations, the more they are at a disadvantage on SNS. Some UK users perceive it as "the way of speaking is rough, but the issue raised is correct," while others react with "insult to allies" and "interference in domestic affairs."


X (formerly Twitter): An Accelerator for Breaking News and Provocation
On X, political reporters and news program hosts briefly summarize "what just happened," and the "point of contention" is instantly solidified. This time too, the content of Trump's posts and the Prime Minister's reactions flowed in real-time, and approval and disapproval clashed in the comments section. Supporters favored vocabulary like "the UK is soft" and "don't sell out defense," while opponents responded with "don't ignore international law and colonial responsibility" and "don't fall for provocation." It's more like a turf war than a discussion.


Reddit: Constructing "Logic" with Long Texts, but Divisions Remain
In the UK political community on Reddit, posts that organize the legal background (international trials, UN resolutions, lease conditions of bases, etc.) and clarify that "it's not a simple 'transfer' in the first place" gain traction, while sarcastic remarks like "the problem is policies swaying to the US's whims" and "Trump changes his tune for convenience" are also prominent. While logic is more organized than on short-text SNS, conclusions still diverge.


Bluesky: Caution Against Changes in Language
Meanwhile, on Bluesky, there is a strong sense of resistance to the strong rhetoric surrounding immigration, and criticisms like "the 'words of fear' are becoming mainstream" are easily shared. The metaphor of "an island nation becoming 'full of outsiders'" is seen as evoking past traumas in UK politics and is problematized from moral and historical perspectives.

6) Why Is the UK Prone to "Trumpification"?

What is important here is that it's not a simple matter of the UK being swallowed by American-style populism. Rather, the UK has a reflex to value "institutions and decorum." That's why the roughness of language stands out, and changes are pronounced.


There are three backgrounds.
The first is that anxieties about "skin feel" issues like immigration, living costs, and security demand messages more than policy details.
The second is that the confusion in the Conservative Party's line and the rise of the Reform Party drive mainstream parties with the fear that "votes can't be won without leaning right."
The third is the structure of SNS itself. Anger, ridicule, and assertions spread easily, while careful explanations are hard to reach. As a result, politicians and media are under pressure to "shorten" their messages.


7) The Challenges That Follow the "Soft Approach"

Prime Minister Starmer's cautious stance towards the US may reduce short-term damage. However, in scenarios where Trump's demands escalate, the very act of "handling things gently" is questioned domestically. When symbols of territory, bases, and alliances like Chagos and Greenland are involved, politics is easily triggered emotionally.


What the UK faces is not just a choice of policies. It is a choice of political culture—"What kind of country do we want to be, and in what words do we want to speak?" A year of Trump has posed this question to the UK. The SNS timeline visualizes the "division of answers" every day.


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