Europe’s new iron lady who is loathed by Trump and will decide the UK’s fate

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1. [Sir Keir Starmer ](https://inews.co.uk/topic/sir-keir-starmer?ico=in-line_link)has made much of his closeness to [Donald Trump](https://inews.co.uk/topic/donald-trump?ico=in-line_link). In his hastily arranged[ trade deal announcement](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/uk-wins-race-to-shake-off-worst-of-trump-trade-tariffs-but-no10-wants-more-3684296?ico=in-line_link), where he patched in by phone to the Oval Office for a cross-Atlantic press conference broadcast live, he made a point of calling Trump “Donald” several times.

   But for all the hype surrounding the UK-US trade deal, it is another global power-broker who really counts. The woman who holds the key to the UK’s economic fortunes is not necessarily Chancellor Rachel Reeves, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

   Mitigating the [US tariffs may be important for UK jobs](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/where-uk-jobs-will-be-lost-trump-tariffs-3621561?srsltid=AfmBOoqkDCvm64dEEETglEb4Qyyubg0K76iVyOIq_2N6k1-nNyrkCsIk&ico=in-line_link), but as EU officials pointed out to *The i Paper* this week, Britain is still in a worse trading position with America than before Trump. Trump’s deal, they argue, [was a “shakedown](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/what-eu-insiders-really-think-of-starmers-trump-trade-deal-3693156?ico=in-line_link)“. The one that really counts is with Europe.

   So when von der Leyen visits London on Monday for the first Brexit reset summit, much will be at stake – with wrangling over easier travel for young people, food standards and fishing rights all to be ironed out.

   Starmer, to be fair, has not been shy in advertising his c[loseness to von der Leyen](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/hopes-rise-eu-water-down-under-30s-migration-demand-brexit-reset-deal-3297596?srsltid=AfmBOorBXNUtk5_Y7G2q92n0s-uwMNrmc9sEUBVW7aLzSLOi29CcXSAl&ico=in-line_link) either, posing for pally photos and warm European cheek-to-cheek greetings. But he is up against a formidable politician and negotiator. And as someone who is described as so guarded and suspicious, few really know her.

   # Ambitious, assiduous, abstemious former punk

   Von der Leyen, now in her sixth year as Commission President, has a reputation in Brussels for being ambitious, assiduous, aloof and abstemious. At the celebrations for Europe Day in Brussels last Saturday, for example, a request for VDL as she is known, to meet and greet visitors was met with a firm “no”, according to one of the organisers.

   When she meets Starmer she will be returning to the city where she spent a thrilling year as a punky student indulging in clubbing, concert-going and late-night partying.

2. No, she won’t. She has no legislative nor executive powers. Sure, she leads commission that proposed laws but that doesn’t mean she decided any fate.

3. She is a Soros puppet no one elected and should be fired.

4. She’s no iron lady and only a figurehead. The UK can decide for themselves and everything was already laid out on the table.

   There is little mystery to the EU demands for further collaboration.

   The UK is a sovereign third country and they chose their own fate as it was well demonstrated.

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