Donald Trump Exclusive: Theo Usherwood Explains Why Labour Are Happy With LBC's Interview

1 November 2019, 07:35

Donald Trump praised Boris Johnson and criticised Jeremy Corbyn in his exclusive interview on LBC. Our Political Editor Theo Usherwood explains how the intervention could have far-reaching consequences.

Donald Trump's exclusive phone call with Nigel Farage on LBC this evening could have far reaching implications for this general election campaign, both for Labour and the Tories.

The Tories have two problems as a result of the 30-minute conversation.

Firstly, Trump admitted a US-UK post-Brexit trade deal is limited by the contents of the Withdrawal Agreement struck between Boris Johnson and Brussels.

Eurosceptics within the Conservative party have - to varying extents - been convinced that Boris Johnson's deal is so much better than Theresa May's agreement.

That's going to be a tougher argument to make, especially if the Brexit Party go for a full throttle approach during the next six weeks.

The second problem for Boris Johnson is that Trump spoke at length about the prospect of Nigel Farage and the Conservative leader being an "unstoppable force" if they can work together.

Those close to the PM have recently said he is not prepared to work with Nigel Farage. The US President clearly thinks that's a mistake.

For Labour who are trying to position Boris Johnson as being in hoc to the Brexit Party and the White House, Thursday's phone call to LBC could not make their argument any better.

Finally, for Jeremy Corbyn - who has repeatedly tried to raise the prospects of the NHS being sold off to US medical companies in recent days - the insistence of the 45th President that any deal will not involve our health service is unhelpful.

It will make it more difficult for Labour to continually attempt to make the link between Brexit and NHS privatisation. Not that Mr Trump's will stop them from pursuing this very strategy.