Rayner defends Labour after Trump campaign complaint

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has defended Labour's stance connected its unit volunteering for Kamala Harris's statesmanlike campaign.

She told the Commons that "people successful their ain clip often spell connected campaigns", adding that "it happens successful each governmental parties".

Speaking astatine PMQs Rayner said nary laws had been breached and the campaigners were volunteers.

Donald Trump's run filed a ailment alleging Labour had breached US predetermination rules connected overseas interference by sending activists to run for Harris, his Democratic Party opponent.

Rayner was lasting successful for Sir Keir Starmer, who earlier played down the enactment portion connected his mode to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Rayner was responding to a question from Stephen Flynn, person of the SNP astatine Westminster, who invited her to articulation him "in applauding the brave Labour unit members who travelled crossed the Atlantic to run against Donald Trump".

The lawman PM replied: "People successful their ain clip often spell and campaign, and that's what we've seen.

"It happens successful each governmental parties, radical spell and run and they bash what they privation to bash with their ain time, with their ain money."

The enactment implicit campaigning was sparked by a now-deleted societal media station from Labour's caput of operations, Sofia Patel, that she had astir 100 existent and erstwhile enactment unit heading to America earlier polling day.

The LinkedIn station said she had “10 spots available” for anyone consenting to question to North Carolina to run for Harris, adding “we volition benignant your housing”.

Foreign nationals are permitted to volunteers successful governmental campaigns successful the US arsenic agelong arsenic they are not compensated, according to Federal Election Commission rules.

Labour Party sources importune nary 1 has done thing wrong, but determination is interest astir whether the enactment could interaction the alleged "special relationship" betwixt the UK and US should Trump triumph the predetermination connected 5 November.

The Trump run ailment to the Federal Election Commission flags that elder Labour Party unit attended the Democratic normal successful Chicago and met Harris’s run team, naming Morgan McSweeney, the premier minister’s main of staff, and Matthew Doyle, Downing Street manager of communications.

Deborah Mattinson, Sir Keir’s erstwhile manager of strategy, was besides named arsenic idiosyncratic who travelled to Washington successful September to little Harris’s run connected Labour’s election-winning approach.

It is understood from Labour officials that Labour met McSweeney’s costs, portion Doyle was hosted by the Progressive Policy Institute, a US deliberation tank.

But the officials said it would beryllium incorrect to suggest either antheral had advised oregon assisted the Harris campaign, adding that Labour sends a delegation to each Democratic convention.

Officials besides pointed retired that Mattinson near the Labour enactment unit aft July's wide predetermination successful the UK.

Sir Keir concisely addressed the contented during his level journey, telling reporters: “The Labour Party has volunteers, [they] person gone implicit beauteous overmuch each election.

"They’re doing it successful their spare time. They’re doing it arsenic volunteers. They’re staying I deliberation with different volunteers implicit there.”

He denied the enactment would interaction his narration with Trump, reminding reporters the 2 had meal unneurotic astatine Trump Tower successful New York past month.

The Prime Minister’s lawman spokesperson stressed that the UK would ever person “a heavy and beardown narration with the US arsenic our closest ally” whoever won the election.

She was not alert of immoderate plans for authorities ministers to talk to Trump’s run team, but Sir Keir and Trump had discussed “the long-standing friendship" betwixt the 2 nations during their New York dinner, she said.

“It is simply a peculiar narration which has endured for implicit a period with leaders of each governmental stripes, and that volition ever beryllium the case," she added.

Defence Secretary John Healey suggested the Trump run was "creating controversy" up of the statesmanlike election.

However, Nigel Farage, the Reform UK person and Trump supporter, told the BBC helium believed the wording of the LinkedIn station breached US predetermination law, saying the rules were "very, precise clear".

Farage, who has travelled to the US to enactment his person connected aggregate occasions, said: "The advertisement didn’t accidental you’ll beryllium going successful your ain escaped time, didn’t accidental you’ll person to wage your ain aerial fare, which astatine the moment, by the way, are very, precise expensive, it said you’re going to person escaped accommodation.

"If you look astatine the wording of that advert determination is small uncertainty that is against American predetermination law."

Filings with the US Department of Justice uncover that Farage himself has received assistance 3 times since his predetermination arsenic an MP successful July from a PR steadfast based successful Pennsylvania, including with edifice costs connected a travel to the USA.

The company, Capital HQ LLC, is tally by Alexandra Preate, who utilized to beryllium an adjutant to Trump’s erstwhile strategist Steve Bannon.

The filings amusement the steadfast paid much than $3,500 (£2,700) for Farage’s accommodation astatine the Republican National Convention successful Milwaukee successful July.

It besides helped with his “perception management”, arsenic good arsenic nationalist relations, question and logistics.

Capital HQ disclosed it had besides assisted with his quality connected a Fox News concern programme successful July, successful which helium was outspoken successful enactment of Trump’s predetermination prospects.

It besides spoke to him successful August astir an “upcoming travel to the United States”.

The filings were made nether US laws requiring anyone who acts connected behalf of overseas “principals” engaged successful governmental activity, specified arsenic seeking to power argumentation oregon nationalist sentiment there, to registry with the national government.

The Clacton MP has declared £32,836 helium separately received from a donor for flights and accommodation for a sojourn to the United States successful July.

Asked astir this on BBC’s Politics Live programme, Farage said helium “hopped connected idiosyncratic else’s plane, they gave maine a escaped lift", adding that helium had declared it and "didn’t run astatine all".

“I went successful a purely idiosyncratic capableness to connection my enactment aft the archetypal assassination attempt... arsenic a person of his and the family".