Labour plays down US ‘election interference’ claim after Trump hits out

Donald Trump’s campaign has accused Labour of interference in the US presidential election, as volunteers from the party have travelled to America to campaign for his opponent Kamala Harris.

A LinkedIn post from Labour’s head of operations encouraged activists to head stateside to campaign for the Democratic nominee for president, adding that nearly 100 volunteers had already signed up.

However, Trump, the Republican nominee, has accused Labour of “foreign assistance” and “anti-American election interference”.

READ MORE: Five problems Starmer will face if Trump wins the White House

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to downplay the row, highlighting that volunteers from the party have travelled to the US to campaign in previous presidential elections.

In an interview on BBC Breakfast, environment secretary Steve Reed said that the volunteer work of activists was not organised or funded by the Labour Party itself.

He said: “It is up to private citizens how they use their time and money – and it’s not unusual for supporters of a party in one country to go and campaign for a sister party in another.”

Polls suggest an extremely close race between Trump and Harris in several crucial swing states, including Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Voters in the United States go to the polls on November 5.

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