Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Trump royal snub President pledges trade boost
UK trip on but no State Visit
DONALD Trump will visit the UK this year but he will not get an audience the Queen – or enjoy a carriage ride down the Mall.
News of the royal snub emerged after Mr Trump confirmed plans for his first trip to the UK as US president during his meeting with Theresa May in Davos.
A Government source said: “We are working towards a working visit.”
This has none of the pomp of a State Visit and is likely to involve Mr Trump holding talks with Theresa May and meeting the US ambassador.
Mrs May issued an invitation for a State Visit last January. It was shelved amid anger at Mr Trump’s policies and US fears of noisy demonstrations.
As he met Mrs May at the World Economic Forum yesterday, Mr Trump promised a “tremendous” rise in trade between Britain and the US, telling Mrs May: “We love your country.”
The PM and Mr Trump were due to meet for half an hour at the Swiss resort, but overran. Sources said Mrs May had always planned to raise the possibility of Mr Trump, whose mother was Scottish, finally accepting an invitation to visit as president.
No10 confirmed the meeting finished with Mr Trump and the PM “asking officials to work together on finalising the details of a visit by the president to the UK this year”. Following their talks, the president tweeted: “Great bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May... affirming the special relationship and our commitment to work together on key security challenges and economic opportunities.”
Earlier, he offered Mrs May a much-needed Brexit boost, by vowing: “Trade is going to increase many times and I look forward to that. The trade concepts and discussions that will be taking place are going to lead to tremendous increases in trade between our two countries,.
“We are starting that process pretty much as we speak.” Mrs May hailed “a great discussion” adding: “We continue to have that really special relationship between the UK and the United States.”
They also discussed Canadian plane maker Bombardier, which employs 4,000 in Northern Ireland, and the need to fight the destabilising activity of Iran. Earlier it was claimed Government insiders said the PM can barely get a word in during phone talks with Mr Trump who “interrupts her every five seconds”, it was claimed.
Fears about nuclear war and other threats have pushed forward the Doomsday Clock by 30 seconds to two minutes before midnight. The symbol was created by The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.