Ed Miliband just dug a hole for Britain – and Donald Trump will be truly raging.TA
After Ed Miliband announced sanctions, Aaron Newbury argues he risks damaging the special relationship with the US.
Ed Miliband (Image: Getty)
Britain has long enjoyed a ‘special relationship’ with the United States, and throughout the history of that bond, we have called upon more times than we might care to admit.
It is what keeps us safe, and there are undoubtedly aspects of it which never see the light of day – the trade of information between partners that foils and frustrates the enemies of freedom.
In an ever more dangerous world, where Britain and her allies feel more diminished and alone, jeopardising such relationships cannot be considered wise.
For a Foreign Secretary, the difficulties of the job are extraordinary, but the task itself is perhaps relatively simple. Do not ruin the special relationship with our closest and most powerful ally.
Yet just a few months into the job, that is what Ed Miliband runs the risk of doing, the blundering former net zero cheerleader seemingly hell-bent on wreaking havoc on our network of alliances.
He has, it seems, already slapped our allies in the face – but it will be Donald Trump that is truly raging in the White House.
Few can deny that the news coming from the Middle East is a cause of great concern, that the devastation we see and the cost of human life is a stain on all our shared conscience.
But no matter one’s views on the actions Mr Miliband has taken – imposing sanctions – the backlash could be disastrous.
For Andy Burnham and Mr Miliband, they must surely now see that being in charge is not the same as fixing some bus routes and building a couple of windmills.
They’re in the big leagues now. Actions have consequences, and countries always act in their own interests.
Failing to consider those interests is an act of foolishness, which Mr Miliband appears to be an expert in.
Not only does the United States President, the commonly quick-to-anger Donald Trump, face midterm elections in a matter of months, but so too does he have a list of reasons to dislike the UK.
President Trump (Image: Getty)
First, there was a lack of support for Iran, alongside rhetoric targeting him from the MPs who conspired to put Andy Burnham on the throne.
And now there is a more pliable premier, Javier Milei, in Argentina, champing at the bit to placate his populace and seize the Falklands, a claim supported now by some in Israel.
We must ask ourselves – what is in Trump’s interest? Being nice to Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband, and a country that has been reticent in its desire to support the US.
Or looking the other way when Mr Milei acts on his desire to expand his territory, making Mr Trump appear stronger at home, and placating his Israeli allies in the process.
Perhaps for us the answer is obvious, but as ever, the minds of Downing Street seem to operate on a different level, detached from reality.
So sadly, we shall have to wait, watch, and see them make the wrong decision.
Andy Burnham’s new migrant plan could see 42 UK areas ‘forced to take them’ – full list
Prime Minister Andy Burnham argued that wealthier communities should “play their part”.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
More than 40 Labour-held seats face pressure to host extra asylum seekers under Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s preference for fairer distribution, an investigation has showed. The analysis identifies 42 Labour seats that rank above Bicester and Woodstock — the constituency covering the village of Piddington — on both median house prices of £390,000 and median weekly wages of £862.
Mr Burnham has faced local anger over plans to house 1,250 migrants at the MoD Bicester site near Piddington. In comments made last month, Mr Burnham argued that wealthier communities should “play their part,” saying: “We cannot have a situation where it’s only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers… I do believe all parts of the country need to work, to play their part.”
The investigation, conducted by GB News, ranked the seats and found that 25 fall under local authorities currently sitting below their regional averages for supported asylum accommodation. These include Altrincham and Sale West, Battersea, Beckenham and Penge, Bexleyheath and Crayford, Chelsea and Fulham, Cities of London and Westminster, Clapham and Brixton Hill, Earley and Woodley, Eltham and Chislehurst, Greenwich and Woolwich, Hammersmith and Chiswick, Hampstead and Highgate, Harrow West, Hertford and Stortford, Hitchin, Holborn and St Pancras, Islington South and Finsbury, Kensington and Bayswater, Lewisham North, Leyton and Wanstead, North East Hertfordshire, Putney, Tooting, Walthamstow and Watford.
The remaining 17 seats are covered by local authorities already above their regional averages. They include Bermondsey and Old Southwark, Bethnal Green and Stepney, Chipping Barnet, Dulwich and West Norwood, Ealing Central and Acton, Finchley and Golders Green, Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Hackney South and Shoreditch, Hornsey and Friern Barnet, Lewisham West and East Dulwich, Poplar and Limehouse, Reading West and Mid Berkshire, Stratford and Bow, Streatham and Croydon North, Uxbridge and South Ruislip, Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, and Welwyn Hatfield.
Across the 32 local authorities covering these 42 seats (plus 14 further constituencies), about 10,108 asylum seekers are in supported accommodation, according to recent Home Office data. The national total stood at 93,293 in June 2026.
GB News contacted all 42 Labour MPs; only Neil Coyle (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) replied. Mr Coyle stated his area had previously hosted one hostel and two hotels under the Conservatives and was “proud to do our part,” while noting Labour had closed the hotels as part of faster processing.
Some listed MPs, including Diane Abbott, Catherine West, Emily Thornberry, Andy Slaughter, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Apsana Begum, have publicly supported greater provision for refugees.
Local resident Ian Darby in Piddington argued the 42 areas should take a population-based quota for fairness, while describing the proposed numbers for his village as disproportionate.
Mr Burnham has said he will listen to Piddington concerns. A consultation runs until September 17, with the Home Office having submitted an urgent planning application. The government continues efforts to end hotel use by 2029 while addressing what it sees as an uneven national distribution of asylum accommodation.
