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Paris climate deal: PM May tells Trump of 'disappointment' PM accused of 'subservience' to Trump over climate move
(about 2 hours later)
Prime Minister Theresa May has told Donald Trump of her "disappointment" with his decision to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Jeremy Corbyn has accused Theresa May of "subservience" to US president Donald Trump by failing to join fellow European leaders in pledging to keep up the fight on climate change.
In a phone call with the US president, Mrs May said the UK remained committed to the deal, according to a Downing Street statement. Mr Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the 2015 Paris climate agreement has prompted international dismay.
But Mrs May has been criticised for not signing a joint condemnation from France, Germany, and Italy. The PM has told the US president of her "disappointment" at the move.
Mr Trump said he would try to negotiate a new, "fairer" climate deal. But Mr Corbyn criticised Mrs May for not signing a joint condemnation from France, Germany and Italy.
In their statement, France, Germany and Italy warned Mr Trump that the Paris agreement could not be renegotiated. Mr Trump said he would try to renegotiate a new, "fairer" climate deal.
Downing Street said: "President Trump called the prime minister this evening to discuss his decision to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement. However, in a statement, Franch President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni warned the US president that the Paris Agreement could not be renegotiated.
"The prime minister expressed her disappointment with the decision and stressed that the UK remained committed to the Paris Agreement, as she set out recently at the G7. They said they remained committed to the "irreversible" accord and regarded it as "a cornerstone in the co-operation between our countries, for effectively and timely tackling climate change".
Downing Street said President Trump called Mrs May to discuss his decision to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement.
Analysis by BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith
Downing Street have sought to brush aside the criticism of Theresa May's failure to sign the protest letter from other EU leaders.
They say it was drawn up before Mrs May had been able to speak to the president and she wanted to hear his views first before deciding on her position.
They also insist that when she did speak with Mr Trump, Mrs May was "very, very clear" with the president that she opposed his decision and expressed her support for the Paris deal.
It is also pointed out that other G7 countries - Japan and Canada - also declined to sign the letter.
Nevertheless her refusal risks reinforcing the view that Mrs May is deeply reluctant to criticise the president.
In part because of the need for new alliances after Brexit; in part because of the desire for a trade deal with the USA.
Critics fear it is a stance which will only harden EU hostility to Britain and make reaching a Brexit deal even harder.
"The prime minister expressed her disappointment with the decision and stressed that the UK remained committed to the Paris Agreement, as she set out recently at the G7," a spokesman said.
"She said that the Paris Agreement provides the right global framework for protecting the prosperity and security of future generations, while keeping energy affordable and secure for our citizens and businesses.""She said that the Paris Agreement provides the right global framework for protecting the prosperity and security of future generations, while keeping energy affordable and secure for our citizens and businesses."
Mr Corbyn labelled Mr Trump's move to withdraw from the accord as "reckless and dangerous" - and he accused Mrs May of a failure of leadership in not signing up to the statement.
At an election campaign event in York, he said: "Given the chance to present a united front from our international partners she [Mrs May] has instead opted for silence and once again subservience to Donald Trump.
"It's a dereliction of both her duty to this country and our duty to our planet.
"This is not the type of leadership Britain needs either to negotiate Brexit or stand up to defend our planet in an era of climate change."
Defending the government's decision not to sign the declaration, Chief Treasury Secretary David Gauke said on BBC Newsnight: "Different countries will take different approaches in how we choose to express our opinion."
But Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said the prime minister should use whatever influence she has over the US president to prompt him to reverse his decision.
"You have gone to Washington to hold Donald Trump's hand - now is the time to hold his feet to the fire," he said.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who described Mr Trump's move as "profoundly regrettable", said it was an "appalling abdication of leadership by the PM" not to join her French, German and Italian counterparts in signing the joint declaration.
Green party co-leader Caroline Lucas said Mrs May's "slow and timid" response to the US announcement was another sign of her weakness.
"Once again we're seeing a weak prime minister failing to stand up tall on the world stage in the face of near-criminal behaviour from one of our closest allies," she said.
The Paris agreement commits the US and 187 other countries to keeping global temperatures rises "well below" 2C (3.6F) and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C.The Paris agreement commits the US and 187 other countries to keeping global temperatures rises "well below" 2C (3.6F) and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C.
Only Syria and Nicaragua did not sign up to the deal.Only Syria and Nicaragua did not sign up to the deal.
In a joint statement, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni declared their "regret" at Mr Trump's move.
They said they remained committed to the "irreversible" accord and regarded it as "a cornerstone in the co-operation between our countries, for effectively and timely tackling climate change".
Defending the government's decision not to sign the declaration, Chief Treasury Secretary David Gauke said on BBC Newsnight: "Different countries will take different approaches in how we choose to express our opinion."
Analysis by BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has launched a scathing attack on Theresa May over her ties to Donald Trump.
It follows Mrs May's decision not to sign a letter of protest by European leaders over the president's refusal to ratify the Paris climate accord.
Mr Corbyn said it demonstrated Mrs May's "silence and subservience" towards the US president.
He described her decision as "a dereliction of duty."
Downing Street, however, have defended the decision and insisted Mrs May expressed her "disappointment" in a phone call with the president.
A source said: "She was very, very clear about her views and support for the climate deal."
The source said the letter was drawn up before Mrs May had been able to speak to the President.
It was suggested Mrs May wanted to hear from the resident before deciding on her response.
It was also pointed out that a number of other G7 countries - Japan and Canada - had refused to sign the letter.
But Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who described Mr Trump's move as "profoundly regrettable", said it was an "appalling abdication of leadership by the PM".
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described Mr Trump's stance as "reckless and dangerous".
He said: "There can be no question of watering those commitments down. The Paris deal cannot be up for renegotiation."
He added that the other European members of the G7 - France, Germany and Italy - have written to the US president in protest, adding: "Why does Theresa May not have her name on this joint statement?"
Mr Corbyn said that given the chance to present a united front with international partners, Mrs May had opted for silence and "subservience" to President Trump.
Liberal Democrat Ed Davey, a former Energy and Climate Change Secretary, described the government's response as "weak".
He said Mrs May needed to tell Mr Trump that "he has got bad economics, bad science, and it's time that he realised America's responsibility, with the rest of the world".