TWO countries celebrating two important landmarks in 2026.
Two governments facing two crucial midterm tests on their differing progress.
And two premiers facing possibly career-ending fallout.
Yes, as President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer peer into 2026, it’s the time of year for me to go full Mystic Meg once again and look into my — now transatlantic — crystal ball.
One thing I am seeing is plenty of bunting as America turns 250 in July.
Two and half centuries after declaring they’d had enough of Kings — and British ones to boot — the US will roll out the red carpet for King Charles in April.
And that’s before we even get to the USA hosting the World Cup this summer.
But I fear that may well be the high-water mark of relations as Trump and Starmer’s uneasy bromance will be pushed to the limits on multiple fronts.
Just this week the United States slapped sanctions on Brits they have accused of meddling in their political system, expelling a Labour-linked figure, while a recent tech deal was iced as the Americans played hardball on other trade matters.
My crystal ball looks pretty hazy around June 23rd when Britain celebrates its own Independence Day — ten glorious years since voting for Brexit and then appearing to spaff almost every possible advantage to it up the wall.
Sir Keir should be warned his former Remainiac brethren will never be satisfied until we are back entirely in the Brussels fold.
Why the UK would ever want to go back baffles our American friends — especially as a return to any form of customs union with Europe would see us forced to abandon a slew of trade deals the EU has never managed to negotiate.
Brexit won’t be the only source of transatlantic tensions next year, and far from the only battles facing the two leaders . . .
THE ANDREW PROBLEM
YOU have to wonder whether Donald Trump gave his pal the King a bit of a tip-off about what was coming down the track for The Andrew Formerly Known as Prince.
The most famous casualty yet of the Epstein files remains disgraced Randy Andy, who is facing exile to a cottage in Norfolk after those humiliating emails and photographs surfaced in the long-awaited Department of Justice data dump about the dead paedo.
Word is there is more to come, and already there are calls for the sacked Duke of York to comply with the FBI and congressional hearings into the saga.
King Charles’s historic visit to the United States in the spring could be badly overshadowed.
Andrew’s “special relationship” with Jeffrey Epstein is NOT what Buckingham Palace will want to be focusing on.
THE ECONOMY
THE world’s largest economy roars into 2026 despite siren calls of doom and gloom.
It turns out the United States grew by 4.3 per cent in Q3 – its fastest growth in two years.
The numbers match some of Trump’s loftier claims, and makes the UK’s flatlining at around one per cent look pathetic.
US exports, which had dropped off a cliff in the wake of Trump’s tariff blitz on the world last April, surged back by 7.4 per cent over the summer.
But there has been a hit to US consumers as import tax costs are passed on by firms.
In January, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the President had the power to slap on the tariffs.
Rejection by the court could mean relief for Americans at the tills and with their bills.
And there would be delight for UK exporters who did £204BILLION worth of inbound trade with the US last year.
THE VOTERS GET A VERDICT
US political strategists often quote Janet Jackson when it comes to the dreaded Midterms.
It’s not so much “what have you done for me?” but “what have you done for me lately?”
So with the Republicans at risk of losing control of the House of Representatives – and Trump’s grip on Washington key levers – the White House will be hoping Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is correct when he says the US is heading for a golden springtime and the good times will be felt by November’s crunch votes.
Sir Keir Starmer faces the music far sooner with Scotland, Wales and large swathes of England going to the polls in May.
It’s not looking good. With Reform surging, and Labour closing out the year behind the Conservatives, things are deeply bleak for the PM as his party sharks circle.
Things are a little more in the balance for the President, but should he lose he faces a gruelling two years of Congressional inquiries and attempts to impeach him again.
But should the pair survive, there is more than a high chance Britain will not get to the polls again on any scale before the next US Presidential election in 2028.
Labour is cancelling local elections all over the shop, and could stick it out until July 2029 before daring to ask the voters for another taste test.
But any hope Sir Keir might have of Donald Trump staying out of the UK’s elections will be dashed by the President’s administration hailing the rise of nationalist patriotic parties like Reform in a recent policy paper.
WAR AND PEACE
STARMER is earmarking regiments to deploy to Ukraine while Trump is mulling a controversial land war in Venezuela.
And there are plenty of opportunities for a diplomatic dust-up in 2026. Trump is expected at Davos in January.
Will Starmer don his snow boots for an audience?
With the Ukraine peace deal in the balance, February’s Munich security conference could be tense.
And will Trump try to invite Putin to the G7 meeting in the French alps in June?
Days later Nato faces one of its toughest ever summits hosted by Turkey.
If the US comes good with its threats to withdraw funding, this gathering could be extremely tense – to Moscow’s delight!
And we could see Putin set foot in the US again as Miami hosts the G20 next December.
Happy New Year! And strap in – it’s going to be another wild one.
