LONDON: A planned visit by King Charles to the United States should be cancelled after President Donald Trump repeatedly insulted Britain, the leader of the country’s third-biggest party in parliament said on Monday.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer after London initially blocked the US from using British bases to attack Iran, saying he was “not Winston Churchill” and that Starmer had helped to “ruin” the special relationship between the two countries.

That followed Trump’s comments in January that European troops had stayed off the front lines in Afghanistan, drawing a rare rebuke from Starmer who described them as “frankly appalling” and insulting to the families of the 457 British service personnel who died in that war.

Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said Starmer should avoid putting the king, Britain’s ceremonial head of state, in the centre of a “highly political situation” with a visit next month.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2026