UK's Starmer plays down Trump team claims of interference

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday played down allegations made by Donald Trump's team of "blatant foreign interference" by his Labour Party in the U.S. election, saying it was normal for its volunteers to campaign.

Starmer also insisted that he maintained "a good relationship" with Trump, having met him for talks last month.

The former president's legal team filed a complaint to the U.S. Federal Election Commission alleging the "British Labour Party made, and the (Kamala) Harris campaign accepted, illegal foreign national contributions."

The filing cited media reports that Labour officials, including the prime minister's new chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, traveled to the United States to advise the Harris campaign.

Trump's team also submitted a now-deleted LinkedIn post by Labour director of operations Sofia Patel calling for volunteers to travel to North Carolina, saying "we will sort out your housing."

Foreign nationals are allowed to volunteer in U.S. elections but may not be compensated.

Starmer told media traveling with him to a Commonwealth meeting on the Pacific island of Samoa that his party had done nothing wrong, and that the volunteers had paid for themselves.

"The Labour party has volunteers, who have gone over pretty much every election," he said.

"They're doing it in their spare time, they're doing it as volunteers, they're staying, I think, with other volunteers over there.

"That's what they've done in previous elections, that's what they're doing in this election and that's really straightforward."

He also denied suggestions that it could damage relations with the U.K.'s most important ally should Republican party candidate Trump beat Democrat Harris and secure a...