The Liberal Democrats have made a formal demand for an independent review into hostile foreign state interference in the UK to be expanded to cover the actions of the United States under Donald Trump.
Explicit Call for Interference in European Politics
In a letter to Communities Secretary Steve Reed, who is overseeing the review, senior Lib Dem figures argued that recent US policy constitutes clear external meddling. The party's foreign affairs spokesperson, Calum Miller, alongside Cabinet Office spokesperson Lisa Smart and communities shadow Zöe Franklin, pointed to the Trump administration's recently published national security strategy.
The document states that Europe faces "civilisational erasure" due to migration and EU integration, and that Washington should "cultivate resistance" within the continent. It uses language reminiscent of the racist "great replacement" conspiracy theory, warning that some nations risk becoming "majority non-European," while praising the "growing influence of patriotic European parties."
Demand for a "Clear-Eyed" Approach
While the inquiry, announced this week following the jailing of former Reform UK senior figure Nathan Gill, is expected to focus primarily on nations like Russia, the Lib Dems insist the US must not be ignored. Their letter praised the investigation but warned of a "real and growing threat" from American interference.
"We must be clear-eyed too about the threat of interference now posed by the United States," the letter stated. It described the US strategy as "nothing less than an explicit call for interference in European politics – including our own." The MPs directly asked the government to commit to including the Trump administration and its associates within the probe's scope, stating that anything less would be an "egregious blindspot."
Continued Pressure on Starmer's Government
This move is part of a sustained effort by the Liberal Democrats to push Prime Minister Keir Starmer into adopting a firmer stance against President Trump, who remains unpopular with a significant portion of the UK electorate according to polls.
The party has previously demonstrated its opposition. In September, during Trump's second state visit, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey boycotted a state banquet hosted by King Charles, protesting the US president's approach to the war in Gaza.
In a separate statement, Calum Miller emphasised the gravity of the situation: "Donald Trump has made it his explicit policy to interfere in European politics and 'cultivate resistance' in the UK and elsewhere." He concluded that failing to include the US government in the investigation would be "deeply irresponsible" and create a "gaping hole" in the UK's defences against political manipulation.
