Why has Trump accused the UK’s Labour Party of election interference?
Al Jazeera
The US presidential candidate has filed a legal complaint against the UK’s governing party for meddling, sparking concern about bilateral ties between the longstanding allies if Trump wins.
US Republican candidate Donald Trump has filed a legal complaint requesting an immediate investigation into “blatant foreign interference” on the part of British officials in the upcoming presidential election on November 5.
In a letter sent to the US Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trump’s campaign lawyer Gary Lawkowski accused the UK’s ruling Labour Party of sending senior advisers and officials to US battleground states in support of his Democratic Party rival Kamala Harris.
“To protect our democracy from illegal foreign influence, it is imperative that the Federal Election Commission … investigate this matter immediately,” the complaint read.
While the UK’s Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed the claims, the incident could strain relations between the US and its closest ally in the event of Trump winning the tight election, said analysts.
The complaint cited a now-deleted LinkedIn post by Sofia Patel, the head of operations for the Labour Party, asking if anyone would be willing to travel to the US to “help our friends across the pond elect their first female president”.