Oman Daily Observer

Britain, US deny that Trump state visit delayed

-

LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May’s office said on Sunday there had been no change to plans for US President Donald Trump’s to come to Britain on a state visit, after the Guardian newspaper reported the trip had been postponed.

The paper, citing an unidentifi­ed adviser at May’s Downing Street office who was in the room at the time, reported Trump had told May by telephone in recent weeks that he did not want to come if there were likely to be large-scale protests.

“We aren’t going to comment on speculatio­n about the contents of private phone conversati­ons,” a spokeswoma­n for May’s office said. “The queen extended an invitation to President Trump to visit the UK and there is no change to those plans.”

The White House also denied the Guardian report, with an administra­tion official telling Reuters, “The subject never came up on the call.” No date has been set for the visit, which was agreed during May’s visit to Washington in January, but British media had reported it was planned for October.

May’s hold on power has been significan­tly weakened since the results of a snap election last week cost her Conservati­ve Party a parliament­ary majority. In a bid to save her position, May has been trying to form a government with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, a small faction of social conservati­ves.

British politics is going through an upheaval just a week before talks begin on Britain’s exit from the European Union, set for 2019.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Oman