PROTESTS PUT OFF TRUMP VISITING THE QUEEN

DONALD Trump has postponed his planned state visit to the UK because of concerns about mass protests, diplomatic sources claimed yesterday.

The US President was due to attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace later this year. But he is understood to have told Theresa May in a telephone call that the threat of large-scale demonstrations has put him off the trip.

More than two million people signed an online petition against the visit, while the Stop Trump coalition has threatened to mobilise the biggest demonstration ever seen in the UK if the President arrives.

Welcomed

A Downing Street adviser “who was in the room” when Mrs May took the call said the Prime Minister was “surprised” by President Trump’s remarks.

No 10 refused to comment on the reported postponement yesterday.

The decision to accord such a controversial president the honour of a state visit so soon after taking office was widely criticised at the time.

There was further criticism after Mr Trump attacked London’s Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, over his response to the latest terror attacks on the capital.

When Mr Khan’s office said he had simply been saying people should not be alarmed by the additional police presence on the streets, Mr Trump accused him of making “pathetic excuses”, prompting the mayor to call for the visit to be dropped.

Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn welcomed reports of the postponement yesterday.

On Twitter, he wrote: “Cancellation of President Trump’s State Visit is welcome, especially after his attack on London’s mayor and withdrawal from the Paris Climate Deal.”

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: “Trump is clearly terrified of the British public. Theresa May should be embarrassed that she was so quick to offer Trump a state visit. Now neither of them wants to be seen with the other.”

However, the White House has denied the story with press secretary Sean Spicer saying the report was “false”.

“The President has tremendous respect for Prime Minister May,” a White House spokesman said. “That subject never came up on the call.”