White House meal leaves sour taste for PM

Theresa May faced humiliating comparisons with Nigel Farage and Margaret Thatcher when she had dinner with Donald Trump, it has been revealed.

The Prime Minister was put in her place in the Brexit pecking order when the two leaders discussed politics over short ribs in the White House on Friday.

According to reports of the encounter, the president was keen to talk about Brexit.

The PM’s spokeswoman said: “He said he had heard from Nigel Farage but wanted her take too.”

And, although May hates any comparisons to Thatcher, Trump talked a lot about the ReaganThatcher relationship that saw the Cold War with the Soviet Union end. The spokeswoman said: “He said he wanted their relationship to be even better than that one.”

Trump appears to have turned on showman charm. Seemingly unaware of protocol, he said he wanted to see her ahead of the Queen when he comes to the UK on a state visit later this year.

The spokeswoman denied May had felt awkward about the president taking her hand as they walked to their press conference.

She said: “He offered his hand to the PM and she accepted it.”

Trump also pledged to increase trade between the US and UK “more than ever before”. The UK is opening three new government offices in Minneapolis, San Diego and Raleigh as a first step.