January 27, 2017

Theresa May meets Donald Trump - but what does she hope to gain?

On Friday, the Prime Minister Theresa May will be the first foreign premier to meet the 45th US President, Donald Trump. Never has the special relationship been so controversial. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been pelting May on social media with messages to take to Trump, such as "no waterboarding". But even those who think the PM should stick to trade talks are sceptical about the results.

Here, two specialists in US and UK relations give us their view of what will go on behind the scenes. 

As Prime Minister Theresa May sits down for her first meeting with President Trump, both sides have been at pains to reaffirm the continuing importance of strong US-UK ties. After a rocky start marked by Trump’s apparent preference for Nigel Farage over the actual leadership of Britain, Trump is now rolling out the red carpet for the PM. The British press is jubilantly suggesting that this will be the second coming of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

Read the full article at the New Statesman.

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