The Guardian view on Labour and the US election: a storm in a teacup | Editorial

There is nothing wrong with foreign volunteers working for Kamala Harris, providing they do it openly and stick to the rules

You can say that the evidence of Labour volunteers dipping into America's election to campaign for Kamala Harris may not do the Labour government's diplomatic interests any favours if Donald Trump wins.You can add that the intervention has not been very competently overseen, either legally or politically.You can even point out that proud citizensof a selfgoverning republic may not take kindly to being told how to vote by visitors from whatwas once the colonial power.

But it is, at worst, a mistake, not a crime. In principle,there is nothing wrong in Labour activists volunteering for the Harris presidential campaign. US elections are the most publicised and consequential on the planet. They affect and capture the interest of millions around the world, not just America. Providing the volunteers observe the rules, and bring self-awareness to what can be a delicate role, their participation, as long as it is public and at the margins, is a tribute to American democracy, not a threat.

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