Teesside politics expert: 'UK-US relationship 'won't be as close'
The inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States takes place today
Last updated 1st May 2025
A Teesside politics expert reckons the relationship between the UK and the US will not as close as it has been previously.
It comes as the 47th President of the United States will be sworn in today.
The inauguration of Republican Donald Trump is going to be taking place and it will be his second time as President, taking over from Joe Biden of Democratic Party.
Ellie Lucas, lecturer in history and politics at Middlesbrough College, said: "The inauguration is like the official start of Donald Trump's Presidency and these days, all sorts ceremonies have grown up around it; they've got celebrities performing, they have special lunches and concerts in the evening so it's like this big, official grand ceremony to start off Donald Trump being President.
"Sometimes we have these things go very, very smoothly, so between Bush and Obama, it was a really great and smooth transition and obviously we've also had a Donald Trump to Joe Bidfen transition so it's very unusual. This is only the second time in Ameircan history that we've had somebody come back in this way. I don't know if Donald Trump is behaving himself a bit better this time.
"It has been really interesting at who he's invited to the inauguration. Keir Starmer wasn't invited so that's really clearly sending a message to somebody who's meant to be our closest ally that we're not going to be a priority I'm going to imagine. Keir Starmer has been, again, very grown up about it congratulating Donald Trump. Many people on the left in this country didn't like that but you know, he's going to have to work with him.
"If we want to sell stuff and trade stuff to America and they massively put a tax on the goods we want to trade to them, they're not going to trade with us anymore so that might threaten any of the little hopes Keir Starmer has got about a positive economic upturn, so we'll see that and I don't think the relationship between UK and US is going to be as close as it has been."