UK

Trump re-election could be threat to UK national security, says former MI6 boss

Sir Richard Dearlove said Donald Trump’s possible return to the White House could be ‘problematic’ for the UK if he ‘damages the Atlantic Alliance’.

Donald Trump’s possible re-election has been highlighted as potentially problematic to UK national security
Donald Trump’s possible re-election has been highlighted as potentially problematic to UK national security (Jane Barlow/PA)
By Ellie Ng, PA

Donald Trump’s potential re-election could pose a threat to the UK’s national security, a former head of MI6 has said.

Sir Richard Dearlove said Mr Trump’s possible return to the White House could be “problematic” for the UK if he “damages the Atlantic Alliance”.

Mr Trump is currently the Republican frontrunner to enter the US presidential race later this year.

Sir Richard Dearlove said the American nuclear umbrella is essential to Europe’s security
Sir Richard Dearlove said the American nuclear umbrella is essential to Europe’s security (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Sir Richard, who led MI6 between 1999 and 2004, highlighted the potential issue of Mr Trump’s re-election when asked on the Sky News programme Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips about the biggest threats the UK should be paying attention to in 2024.

He said: “From an intelligence perspective, the two things we need to worry about are, obviously, Ukraine and what China’s long-term behaviour globally is going to be, particularly in relation to Taiwan and how threatening China is to Western interests.”

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Sir Richard continued: “You have to add a political threat, which I’m worried about, which is Trump’s re-election, which I think for the UK’s national security is problematic because if Trump, as it were, acts hastily and damages the Atlantic Alliance, that is a big deal for the UK.

“We’ve put all our eggs in defence terms in the Nato basket.

“If Trump really is serious about, as it were, changing the balance, I mean, the American nuclear umbrella for Europe is, in my view, essential to Europe’s security and defence.”