‘Finally there’s hope’: UK weighs up opportunities and risks after Trump’s midterms disaster

Senior British politicians and officials highlight potential to end Iran war but warn US president is not yet ‘a spent force’

Andy Burnham was having dinner at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua when the results of the US midterm elections started rolling in.

UK government officials in the Caribbean with the prime minister scrolled through their phones with growing incredulity as the scale of the Republicans’ defeat became clear.

“We knew it was going to be bad for Trump but it was historic result after historic result: Kansas, South Carolina, Texas,” one said. “We’ve been dealing with this constant anxiety over Trump’s erraticism and what he might do next for years. Finally, there’s a bit of hope.”