Starmer 'too soft' on Trump says Ed Davey after Lib Dem leader announces state banquet boycott over Gaza

The Liberal Democrat leader announced on Wednesday that he would decline an invitation to the dinner, set to take place during the US President’s state visit in mid-September.

Sir Ed said he and his wife Emily had “spent all summer thinking about this” and had “prayed about it”, before deciding it was “the one way” to send a message to both Mr Trump and Sir Keir Starmer.

Speaking as LBC's guest presenter on Friday, the Lib Dem leader said that if the UK bows to Trump "our voice will be less effective in other parts of the world".

"We have to treat Trump differently," he insisted.

"I think Keir Starmer is too soft on President Donald Trump," Sir Ed added.

"We need to put pressure on Trump to do what only he can do to stop the killing in Gaza, stop the famine and get the hostages released."

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Sir Ed argued: "The truth is Trump's just giving Netanyahu his full support.

"He says he's stopping all these wars. He claims he has this power.

"And actually US presence in the past has been very influential on everything in the Middle East."

James Cleverly, the Conservative MP for Braintree and Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "I think this is the most foolish of performative gesture politics.

"Diplomacy is not about only talking to people that you agree with. It's about talking to people you disagree with.

"I know that sad Davey has got deep disagreements with Donald Trump. I respect the fact he has disagreements with Donald Trump.

"But when you disagree with someone on the international stage, talk to them. Unless, of course, you don't think you have any influence."

I response, Sir Ed said: "I respect James Cleverly."

"I think he knows that at these state banquets, you never get to speak to the visiting head of state."

He added: "In terms of diplomacy, I sort of agree with him. I think you should sit down with people who you disagree with."

Sir Ed previously said: “There is no honour like an invitation from the King, and not to accept his invitation goes against all of our instincts.

“But I fear we could have a situation where Donald Trump comes to our country, is honoured with a lavish dinner at one of our finest palaces, yet no one reminds him that he has the power to stop the horrifying starvation and death in Gaza and get the hostages released.

“If Donald Trump tells Benjamin Netanyahu to stop this, it ends tomorrow. If Donald Trump uses his influence over Qatar and the other Gulf states that Hamas relies on, all the hostages could come home tomorrow.”

Mr Trump has offered mixed signals on Israel’s war in Gaza, calling for an end to the conflict and the “real starvation” in the territory while rejecting calls to recognise a Palestinian state and proposing to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and redevelop it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Meanwhile, the conflict continues, with the world’s leading authority on food security last week confirming Gaza City was suffering from a famine and Israel accused of killing five journalists and 15 others in a strike on a hospital in Gaza on Monday.

Sir Ed added: “Boycotting the banquet is the one way I can send a message to Donald Trump and Keir Starmer that they can’t close their eyes and wish this away.

“We have to speak up. They have to act. Donald Trump must act to end this humanitarian crisis.”

Mr Trump’s state visit, scheduled to take place between September 17 and 19, is his second, making him one of the few world leaders to be invited for two state visits.

The honour is usually reserved for monarchs, with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark the last person to make a second state visit in 2000, although French president Raymond Poincare made two state visits in the early 20th century.

Details of Mr Trump’s visit are still to be announced, but it will not include an address to Parliament as the Lords and Commons are not sitting while he is in the country.

The state visit follows a more low-key trip to Scotland in July, during which he hosted Sir Keir at his Turnberry golf course.