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Donald Trump arrives in UK for start of contentious visit Tens of thousands expected to protest at Donald Trump UK visit
(about 4 hours later)
Donald Trump has arrived in the UK for a four-day visit which will feature talks with Theresa May, tea with the Queen, and mass protests including a giant Trump baby blimp being flown over Westminster. Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to take to the streets as Donald Trump meets with Theresa May on Friday to discuss a possible trade deal on a four-day working visit to the UK.
Trump’s plane touched down at Stansted airport, in Essex, from Brussels, where he had spent two days at the Nato summit. He is due to remain in the UK until Sunday evening, when he will head to Helsinki for a summit with Vladimir Putin. Trump was met with handshakes and smiles when he landed at Stansted in Airforce One at 1:51pm on Thursday, but voluble protests immediately kicked off in earnest, with banners questioning his human rights record unfurled on Vauxhall Bridge and protesters gathering to make a wall of noise outside the US ambassador’s residence.
Air Force One landed at London Stansted airport at 1:51pm, with the media given no access to the president during the flight. Trump – who heralded his trip by announcing that “Brexit is Brexit” and questioning whether the British government was enacting the will of the people – will largely avoid the capital or other cities that could host significant protests. He will instead be kept mainly insulated from the public at various country estates or palaces and will travel mostly by air.
Trump descended from the plane holding the hand of his wife Melania, and was greeted by Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, before they boarded the helicopter Marine One for the short journey to London, most likely to the US ambassador’s residence, Winfield House. Whether you are joining a planned demonstration or marking Trump’s UK visit in some other way, share your story and photographs via our dedicated callout here.
Trump will largely avoid the capital or other cities that could host significant protests. He will instead be kept mainly insulated from the public at various country estates or palaces. You can also share your stories, photos and videos with the Guardian via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44(0)7867825056
Earlier Trump said Brexit was heading on a different route to the one the British people expected, and the UK could end up with a closer relationship with the EU than had been predicted. Your responses will only be seen by the Guardian and we’ll feature some of your contributions in our reporting. You can read terms of service here.
Speaking at a press conference as he prepared to leave the Nato summit for his first official visit to the UK, Trump did not explicitly call for a hard Brexit, insisting he was not interfering in the internal affairs of the UK, but his remarks were likely to disturb No 10 as it battles to shore up support for May’s proposed Brexit deal. Nonetheless, protesters will seek to draw his attention, with a giant Trump baby blimp to be flown over Westminster on Friday morning before an estimated 70,000 people take to the streets in angry protest. There will be rallies in Glasgow and Manchester as well as a women’s march in London and the flagship Stop Trump protest, ending in Trafalgar Square.
On Thursday night, Trump was due to attend a black-tie dinner at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, attended by business leaders as well as most senior members of the cabinet.
On Friday it is understood that he will join May for a counter-terrorism demonstration by UK and US special forces at Sandhurst, before the main business element of his trip: talks with May and the new foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, at the PM’s Chequers country retreat, including a working lunch.
Downing Street said that the talks would cover trade, Brexit, Russia and the Middle East.
Later on Friday Trump and his wife, Melania, who will spend some of her time on separate engagements with May’s husband, Philip, will have tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle before flying to Scotland, where they are expected to visit Trump’s golf resorts in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire and stay at the 120-room Trump Turnberry hotel.
Further protests are planned in Glasgow and Edinburgh during the weekend, including a “carnival of resistance” including country fete-style games mocking the president.
Before he left an at times chaotic Nato summit in Brussels, Trump commented Brexit was heading on a different route to the one the British people expected, and the UK could end up with a closer relationship with the EU than had been predicted.
Speaking at a press conference as he prepared to leave the Nato summit for his first official visit to the UK, Trump did not explicitly call for a hard Brexit, insisting he was not interfering in the internal affairs of the UK, but his remarks are likely to disturb No 10 as it battles to shore up support for Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal.
“I would say Brexit is Brexit,” said Trump. “The people voted to break it up so I imagine that is what they would do, but maybe they’re taking a different route. I’m not sure that’s what they voted for.”“I would say Brexit is Brexit,” said Trump. “The people voted to break it up so I imagine that is what they would do, but maybe they’re taking a different route. I’m not sure that’s what they voted for.”
He added that it seemed as if the UK was “getting at least partially involved back with the European Union. I’d like to see them be able to work it out so it could go quickly.”He added that it seemed as if the UK was “getting at least partially involved back with the European Union. I’d like to see them be able to work it out so it could go quickly.”
In response, May said: “What we are doing is delivering on the vote of the British people.”In response, May said: “What we are doing is delivering on the vote of the British people.”
Trump said he had been reading up closely on Brexit in recent days, and he described the UK as “a pretty hot spot with many resignations”. Trump said he had been reading up closely on Brexit in recent days and he described the UK as “a pretty hot spot with many resignations”.
He had already described the UK as a country in turmoil, and held back from endorsing May’s leadership, instead praising the former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who resigned on Monday in protest at the Brexit deal May presented to the cabinet at her Chequers retreat at the weekend. He had already described the UK as a country in turmoil, and held back from endorsing May’s leadership, instead praising the former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who resigned on Monday in protest at the Brexit deal that May presented to the cabinet at her Chequers retreat at the weekend.
Trump also said he had told EU leaders they had to be careful because immigration was “taking over Europe”, and this had been the reason for Brexit. He said he would be taking on the EU later this month by demanding a change to trade tariffs under the threat of imposing controls on German car exports to the US.Trump also said he had told EU leaders they had to be careful because immigration was “taking over Europe”, and this had been the reason for Brexit. He said he would be taking on the EU later this month by demanding a change to trade tariffs under the threat of imposing controls on German car exports to the US.
He insisted he was popular in the UK, citing his strong line on migration. “They like me a lot in the UK. I think they agree with me on immigration.”He insisted he was popular in the UK, citing his strong line on migration. “They like me a lot in the UK. I think they agree with me on immigration.”
A Guardian/ICM poll released on Wednesday showed 53% of respondents disagreed with the idea Trump was doing a good job, and 63% disagreed with the statement that they would like to see a politician like him as British prime minister.A Guardian/ICM poll released on Wednesday showed 53% of respondents disagreed with the idea Trump was doing a good job, and 63% disagreed with the statement that they would like to see a politician like him as British prime minister.
As Trump prepared to arrive in the UK on Thursday a spoof “go home” van – a parody of widely criticised Home Office vans carrying messages directed at illegal immigrants – was being driven around central London. The message on the side the van, supported by the campaign groups Another Europe is Possible and Global Justice Now, stated: “Go home or face protest.” Almost as the plane landed, a banner reading: “Donald Trump: human rights nightmare” was unfurled by Amnesty UK on Vauxhall Bridge, opposite the US embassy.
The van has landed! Westminster, join the #carnivalofresistance pic.twitter.com/rS4dkMV8d0 As Trump arrived at Winfield House, he was greeted by a large group of people while the Beatles’ song “We can work it out” played in the background. But protesters pledged to make his stay at the residence as uncomfortable as possible, by holding an “all-night noise protest” in Regent’s Park near the US embassy. A ring of steel fences and concrete bollards has been erected around the US ambassador’s residence.
Almost as the plane landed, a banner reading: “Donald Trump: Human Rights Nightmare” was unfurled by Amnesty UK on Vauxhall Bridge, opposite the US Embassy. US embassy workers said Trump had given a short speech, with one saying: “It was very complimentary to England and to the allies that we have, very positive.”
Donald Trump: Human Rights Nightmare Banner by @AmnestyUK unveiled opposite US Embassy in London#TrumpUKVisit(Video via @Kris_teen_a)pic.twitter.com/3fPZcWNbpT
Later on Thursday Trump will attend a black-tie dinner at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire along with business leaders and most of the senior members of the cabinet.
On Friday he will join May for a counter-terrorism demonstration by UK and US special forces at an undisclosed location, before the main business element of his trip: talks with May and the new foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, at the PM’s Chequers country retreat, including a working lunch.
Later on Friday Trump and his wife, Melania, who will spend some of her time on separate engagements with May’s husband, Philip, will have tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle. They will then fly to Scotland.
Trump’s 48 hours in Scotland are officially part of his visit, and he will be greeted on arrival by the Scotland secretary, David Mundell, but he has no official engagements there and is expected to stay at one of his golf resorts, playing golf and preparing for a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.
“I am going there for two days while I wait for the Monday meeting,” Trump said of the Scottish leg of his trip at his Nato press conference.
Protests against Trump’s visit are expected across the country. There will be an “unwelcome party” near Winfield House and a protest near Downing Street on Thursday. On Friday a women’s march will head to Portland Square before the main Stop Trump protest, ending with a rally in Trafalgar Square. There are also expected to be protests in Glasgow and Manchester.
Much of the media attention has focused on a 20ft balloon caricaturing the US president as a nappy-clad orange baby with a smartphone. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan’s decision to allow the inflatable to fly next to the Houses of Parliament has enraged some Trump supporters, with Nigel Farage describing it as “the biggest insult to a sitting US president ever”.
It is officially a working visit. Plans for a full state visit – an offer extended by May when she visited Trump soon after his inauguration in 2017 – were shelved indefinitely amid concerns about protests. But May and her ministers still hope to flatter Trump with pomp and royalty.
One of the obstacles to a state visit had been objections to Trump addressing parliament, a traditional element of such trips, including a controversial ban by the Commons Speaker, John Bercow.
However, some MPs will be presenting another view. The rightwing thinktank Bow Group has organised a welcome event for Trump in parliament on Thursday, even though the president will get no nearer than the US ambassador’s residence, four miles to the north in Regent’s Park.
Whether you are joining a planned demonstration or marking Trump’s UK visit in some other way, share your story and photographs via our dedicated callout here.
You can also share your stories, photos and videos with the Guardian via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44(0)7867825056
Your responses will only be seen by the Guardian and we’ll feature some of your contributions in our reporting. You can read terms of service here.
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BrexitBrexit
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