Keir Starmer's in a full-blown crisis - but Trump could save his bacon

A desperate Sir Keir Starmer will hope to use Donald Trump as a human shield when he arrives on British soil tonight. The Prime Minister is so far up that well known creek without a paddle that he will be somewhat relieved that the US President is in town.

The Labour leader is in the eye of a giant political storm that shows no sign of dying. His handling of the Peter Mandalson-Jeffrey Epstein scandal has left him in a perilous position.

Backbenchers, already fed-up over the PM's disastrous 14-month premiership and the demise of Angela Rayner, are gnashing their teeth about replacing him. Sir Keir will hope Trump's three-day state visit will suck the life out of everything else and focus solely on him.

That's exactly what the Republican strongman would like, lapping up the attention of staying with the King and all the pomp and ceremony that goes with it.

But it's also a risky strategy as Trump, like Mandelson, is no stranger to controversy.

And those two names are linked by another one - Epstein - as both the former US Ambassador and president were friends with the dead paedophile.

Awkward questions could derail the bonhomie of this unprecedented second state visit, especially when the two leaders face the media at Chequers on Thursday.

Let's not forget Trump's penchant for fireworks, just as his first state visit six years ago.

Back then, in June 2019, as well as taking tea with the late Queen, the US President called London Mayor Sadiq Khan "a stone-cold loser", backed Boris Johnson in a Tory leadership race and suggested the NHS should be part of US-UK trade talks.

All this was accompanied by a petition saying he should not receive a state visit in the UK, signed by more than one million people, as well as noisy protests involving thousands and a huge inflatable effigy that became known as the Trump Baby.

More of the same is expected this week.

There will again be protests and pitfalls - over Starmer's recognition of a Palestinian state, Israel, the war in Ukraine and Mandelson's replacement - lurk at every corner.

Trump is only on the ground for less than 48 hours but it will feel like a lifetime for Sir Keir.