Skip to main content
Trump’s return will only deepen the war spiral
Britain’s best option after the new president is sworn in in January is to simply opt out of his warmongering and demands for military spending, and make our own trade deals independent of the US for once, writes DIANE ABBOTT MP
YES TO ARMS FOR UKRAINE, NO TO WINTER FUEL ALLOWANCE: Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and Keir Starmer at the meeting of the Nato-Ukraine Council in Washington DC, in July 2024

THE voters of the US have spoken, even if we did not like what they said. A Donald Trump presidency 2.0 is a fact. All other political forces have to deal with that. The question is how?

The US is now the world’s second-largest economy, behind China. But it remains by far the world’s largest military power, with a military budget that exceeds the next five largest military powers combined.

It has military bases in about 80 countries, which is more than all other military powers in the world combined. It is the dominant power in Nato, the largest shareholder in the World Bank and the key ideological influence in the International Monetary Fund.

Donate to the Fighting Fund
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Features / 19 April 2025
19 April 2025
British Steel has vindicated what the left has said all along — nationalisation of our key industries is common sense, and it’s the neoliberals who are now clearly the ideologically driven zealots, writes DIANE ABBOTT MP
Features / 5 April 2025
5 April 2025
DIANE ABBOTT MP points out the false premises used by Rachel Reeves in the Spring Statement
PUTTING A GOOD FACE ON IT: Liz Kendall
Features / 22 March 2025
22 March 2025
With young people, the disabled and the elderly in Labour’s sights as ‘easy targets’ for cuts, the labour movement must remember it’s in the vital interests of us all to defend the groups being picked off, writes DIANE ABBOTT MP
Keir Starmer (front centre) hosts European leaders' summit t
Features / 8 March 2025
8 March 2025
As European leaders compete to increase military spending while threatening welfare cuts, the burden will fall disproportionately on working people and minority communities, warns DIANE ABBOTT MP
Similar stories
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at a bilateral meeting with
Editorial: / 3 February 2025
3 February 2025
UNDER THREAT: Latin American progressives (Left to right) Cu
Features / 11 January 2025
11 January 2025
There are unique dangers from Trump’s second term, from his territorial ambitions and corporate power grab to the global emboldening of hard-right forces championed by his consigliere Elon Musk, writes DIANE ABBOTT MP
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria
Editorial: / 10 July 2024
10 July 2024
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Teesside celebrating with Lord
Features / 18 May 2024
18 May 2024
DIANE ABBOTT takes down the attempts by the Tories to distract from their abysmal handling of the economy and public services by making one last desperate pitch to be the party of ‘defence’ by banging the drum of war