America

Actions often speak louder than words. In the case of the United States seizing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro’s multi-million dollar luxury aircraft this week, that perhaps rings true. The international tip-toeing around how best to respond to Venezuela’s election result – considered fraudulent by many – and the turbulent repression that has ensued, has had global leaders scratching their heads for over a month. But the seizure of the airplane could hit Maduro where it hurts. Strongly-worded statements condemning the lack of transparency around the election and the antiquated measure of throwing dissenters in jail have fallen on deaf ears. So the taking of the Dassault Falcon 900EX from the Dominican Republic,

With the Democratic National Convention taking place this week, it’s crucial to consider the potential consequences for Britain and global stability if Kamala Harris emerges victorious in the presidential election in November. The past four years have not been kind to the special relationship. After Donald Trump’s warmth towards Britain, Joe Biden’s tenure called into question the commitment Democrats have to America’s alliance with the UK.  Often seen as one of the most anti-British presidents, Biden’s approach to Brexit, the Good Friday Agreement, and his handling of Afghanistan all suggested that he felt some hostility towards the UK and cast doubt on his dedication to the special relationship. His reluctance

Chicago Joe Biden has given a speech at every single Democratic National Convention since 1976. Tonight was his last and he didn’t start speaking until 10.28 p.m., local time. Far past his bed time.  Why so late? Poor planning? Or a cynical attempt to push the President’s appearance past ‘prime time’ – in case he had another major meltdown?  Convention officials were quick to say that Biden’s big finale had been delayed by the ‘raucous applause’ and ‘electric atmosphere’ in the convention centre, which had interrupted speakers in the build-up. Hmmm. Perhaps we’ll never know. Whatever the case, it seemed to add insult to injury for a Commander-in-Chief who, as

‘Thank you for bringing back the joy’. So effused Tim Walz to Kamala Harris whose new-found position as Democratic nominee for the US presidency has turned the race for the White House upside down. You might expect Walz, Harris’s pick for vice president, to say nice things to his boss. But in terms of crowd numbers, their enthusiasm and the polls, Harris – the dancing, laughing, Happy Warrior – really has made a striking impact on the American public, much to Donald Trump’s consternation. Starmer finds it hard to communicate anything more uplifting than stolid competence The contrast to when Joe Biden was the Democrats’ presumptive candidate is remarkable. Of

The lengthy interview between Donald Trump and Elon Musk on X last night began 40 minutes late, a technical glitch much of the media celebrated with unrestrained joy. They hate, hate, hate Elon Musk (despite his electric vehicles) – and they hate a media rival. They hate his transformation of Twitter, now X, into an open forum with very little censorship.  And, of course, they hate Musk’s foray into politics since he has taken the wrong side. Until now, Musk has largely avoided politics. He still describes himself as centrist who supported Obama; he said so in the talk with Trump. But Musk has committed what many pundits consider a mortal sin.

American politics seem particularly febrile in 2024. The sitting President has withdrawn from the election, days after his predecessor was shot campaigning at a rally in Pennsylvania. But American democracy is by nature restless and tumultuous. It’s worth remembering that 50 years ago this week, Washington was in turmoil over the question of whether Richard Nixon was going to resign. Those early days of August 1974 seem like yesterday to those of us who became swept up in them. At the time I was a 31-year-old MP, five months into my first parliamentary term as an opposition backbencher. My summer recess took me to the home of a hospitable Anglophile

US vice president Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota governor Tim Walz to be her running mate. Walz, a Midwestern Democrat with deep ties to labour movements, will be seen as an opportunity for Harris to hang on to some of the ‘blue wall’ states that president Joe Biden flipped from Donald Trump in the 2020 election. CV-wise, Walz is impressive: he was born in a small town in Nebraska, joined the Army National Guard, worked as a high-school social studies teacher and was elected to Congress in 2006. He won the governor’s mansion in Minnesota in 2018 and won reelection in 2022. Walz has his own history of pro-Israel policies and