Trump tells Starmer to call up military to stop small boats

The US President held a press conference with the Prime Minister to mark the end of his three-day stay, following a reception and banquet with the King and other royals at Windsor Castle.

Mr Trump praised the “traditions of British liberty which grew up on these isles, these beautiful, magnificent isles, and were carried on by our ancestors”.

He described Sir Keir’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state as “one of our few disagreements”, however he went on to give the Prime Minister advice on illegal immigration and energy.

Mr Trump suggested Sir Keir should take a tougher line on tackling the migrants crisis, including getting military involvement.

Setting out his own actions in the US, Mr Trump said: “What I saw happening, with millions of people pouring into our country, I couldn’t stand to watch it, and we’ve done a great job.”

He said “the last three months we had zero – from millions of people a year ago, we had zero people enter our country illegally”.

Speaking alongside Sir Keir, he said: “I think your situation is very similar. You have people coming in and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use.”

The Prime Minister confirmed that a migrant had been returned to France to start the “one in, one out deal” that he agreed with Emmanuel Macron.

The scheme will see the UK return asylum seekers to France who have crossed the Channel, in exchange for those who apply and are approved to come to Britain.

Sir Keir hopes it will act as a deterrent for those considering crossing the Channel in small boats.

However, an Eritrean man has already managed to temporarily halt his deportation by appealing to the High Court.

“This is an issue we are taking incredibly seriously,” Sir Keir said, standing alongside Mr Trump.

“Not withstanding the challenges to that scheme, which you’ve seen in the last few days, a flight went off this morning successfully returning someone under that scheme.

That is an important step forward. There’s no silver bullet here, there’s a range of things that need to be done.

“But given the challenges of returning people, it is important that we’re able to prove it can be done.”

Mr Trump also appeared to disagree with Sir Keir over energy policy.

The US President has coined the phrase “drill, baby, drill” when talking about fossil fuels, while in contrast Sir Keir’s government has suspended allocating new oil and gas licences.

In a rambling answer, Mr Trump said: “We don’t do wind because wind is a disaster.

“It’s a very expensive joke, frankly … so that was very important. Drill, baby, drill.

“And you have a great asset here we spoke about, it’s called the North Sea. The North Sea oil is phenomenal. And I hope, because I love this country.

“You know, my mother was born in Scotland … and I want this country to do well.”

Sir Keir followed up by saying he had a “pragmatic approach” to energy, before adding: “The mix will include oil and gas for many years to come from the North Sea.

“We have been clear about that for some time, but we also need to mix that with renewables.”

Those moments aside, Sir Keir would have been relieved that the potentially awkward press conference passed without any major bust-ups.

Mr Trump did not rise when asked about Lord Peter Mandelson’s relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, instead passing the question back to the Prime Minister.

The peer was fired as the UK’s ambassador to the US by Sir Keir Starmer last week when the extent of his friendship with the US financier was revealed.

There had been concerns the issue could cast a shadow on the US president’s second state visit to the UK, not least because Mr Trump was also close to Epstein, although they fell out before his conviction in 2009.

Mr Trump said “I don’t know him actually” when asked at a joint press conference with the Prime Minister whether he had sympathy with Lord Mandelson for being sacked over historic links to the convicted sex offender.

Trumpeting his claim to have resolved seven wars, the occasionally erratic President appeared to confuse Armenia with Albania, saying the Balkan country had been at war with Azerbaijan.

It was in fact Armenia that formally agreed a peace deal with Azerbaijan at the White House last month.

Mr Trump was also effusive in his praise for Charles, calling the King and Queen “two fantastic people”.

He said he and his wife Melania “will never forget it”.