Trump brings Brexit advice on state

International Live: Britain will roll out the red carpet for US President Donald Trump on Monday as he arrives in Britain for a state visit already overshadowed by his outspoken remarks on Brexit.

Queen Elizabeth II will welcome Trump and his wife Melania to Buckingham Palace, where they will be treated to a guard of honour, a private lunch and later, a glittering state banquet. But beneath the pomp and ceremony, Britain is in turmoil with Prime Minister Theresa May due to step down within weeks over her handling of her country’s exit from the European Union.

True to form, Trump ripped up the diplomatic rule book before he even touched down by saying former foreign minister Boris Johnson would make an “excellent” choice to succeed May. He also recommended May’s successor walk away from talks with Brussels, refuse to pay Britain’s agreed divorce bill and leave the EU with no deal.

The much vaunted UK-US “special relationship” was already under strain over different approaches to Iran, China and the Paris climate change accord. Opposition politicians are boycotting the banquet over what London’s mayor
Sadiq Khan called Trump’s “divisive behaviour” and large protests are
expected across the capital.

Trump recommended the new government “walk away” from talks with the EU if
it cannot get a good deal, and refuse to pay the œ39 billion (45 billion euros, $50 billion) divorce bill May agreed. In an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper, he emphasised that there was “tremendous potential” for Britain to trade with his country after Brexit.

Washington has also been putting pressure on Britain to exclude Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G network over security concerns, suggesting it might harm intelligence sharing.

 

Dhaka, 3 June (campuslive24.com)//MIH

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