Donald Trump’s campaign has accused Britain’s Labour Party of “blatant foreign interference” in the upcoming US presidential election, escalating tensions with a key US ally in the final weeks of the race, CNN reports.
The accusation stems from a Labour Party staff trip to the US to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.
A lawyer for the former president filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Tuesday against both the Labour Party and the Harris campaign. The complaint cites a LinkedIn post by Labour head of operations Sofia Patel, advertising a trip to the US where “nearly 100 Labour Party staff” would campaign for Harris in key swing states.
While FEC rules allow foreign nationals to campaign for US candidates as uncompensated volunteers, the Trump campaign claims the Labour staff trip violates these regulations. The complaint references Patel’s post and various media reporting, but offers no evidence of compensation.
Responding to the accusation, Labour leader Keir Starmer insisted that any involved staff were acting in a personal capacity and as unpaid volunteers. He highlighted the Labour Party’s past participation in US elections as volunteers, stressing the straightforward nature of their involvement.
The Trump campaign, however, used stronger language, accusing the “far-left” Labour Party of inspiring Harris’ “dangerously liberal policies”. The campaign’s co-manager, Susie Wiles, declared that “Americans will once again reject the oppression of big government”.
The complaint adds to the long-standing tension between Trump and foreign actors regarding US elections. Trump has repeatedly deflected accusations of benefiting from foreign electoral interference, notably from Russia. A 2021 US intelligence report concluded that the Russian government interfered in the 2020 election, supporting Trump and denigrating Biden.
Despite this, Starmer has maintained that his government will work with whichever candidate wins the election. He met with Trump last month at the UN General Assembly, saying that he aimed to establish a “good relationship”.
