The impact of Donald Trump’s resounding win at the polls, and his whirlwind first days in office, is not limited to the U.S. In the United Kingdom, politicians are trying to learn from his example.
Thus, Suella Braverman, who represents the right wing of the Conservative Party, writes in the Telegraph, after attending Trump’s inauguration. Her piece is headlined: “Trump’s triumph offers a new blueprint for Britain”:
Sitting mere feet from the President at his victory rally on the eve of the inauguration in Washington DC, it was impossible not to be swept up in the unbridled optimism that filled the room. This was no ordinary political gathering – it was an electrifying celebration of triumph against the odds. The energy was palpable, the air thick with hope and determination. People had travelled from every corner of America and beyond, braving sub-zero temperatures to witness history in the making.
Of course, when it comes to policy, even Britain’s Conservatives are not all the way there:
Trump’s politics are simple, direct and unflinchingly geared toward the crises Americans feel most acutely. His message, free of the torturous contortions of elite politics, resonates with ordinary people.
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[L]et’s be frank: it’s time to break with the dogmas of the green lobby. Yes, climate change matters, but so do household budgets and energy security. We must stand for common sense, not costly virtue signalling.
Even Britain’s Conservatives are not ready to uproot Greenism, root and branch. But affordable energy is a vital part of Trump’s agenda. Still, this is good:
It’s time to muster the courage to act decisively: leave the European Court of Human Rights, repeal the Equality Act and legislate against judicial overreach that undermines the will of the people.
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We must become the party of lower immigration – not just for economic reasons, but for cultural and social cohesion. We need to champion lower taxes and less regulation, just as Trump has, liberating enterprise and empowering families. Emulating the DOGE mission would not be a bad place to start.
And so on. Above all, Braverman urges Britons to emulate the courage displayed by Trump and his movement. Coming from a Tory, that is perhaps not surprising. But the U.K.’s Labour (!) Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, invokes Trump as well: “Rachel Reeves: Britain needs a dose of Trump positivity.”
Does she think Britain can learn from Donald Trump, whose unashamed boosterism appears to be paying dividends in the United States? “Yes, I think we do need more positivity,” she says. “I’ve challenged businesses as well and said no one else is going to speak up for Britain apart from us. It hasn’t been a very British thing to say.”
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She flew back from the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday night after three days of talking to the global elites — a who’s who of the world’s biggest bankers and executives. “I’ve been in sales mode this week in Davos,” she says. “We’re all sick of Britain being in the slow lane, whether it’s British CEOs or British investors, and we want to see a revival of those animal spirits so that we can grow the economy and bring investment here.”
Kudos to Reeves for at least talking about the necessity for economic growth, but what are the chances that Labour’s policies will help? Trump’s “positivity,” his energy, his fearlessness are all important. But it is his policies that will help the Americans who vote for him. If politicians in other countries imitate the style but not the substance, they won’t get the same results.
