British noses out of joint: Donald Trump’s snub to Theresa May is a huge embarrassment. “Donald J. Trump phoned nine world leaders – including a ten-minute conversation with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny – without even thinking to call Theresa May … [It] is worrying, to say the least. … Teresa May must spare no effort to save the Special Relationship.”
Nigel Farage to be Donald Trump’s go-between amid claims Special Relationship with US is faltering, by Christopher Hope.
[British ]Ministers will use Nigel Farage as an unofficial intermediary to build bridges with Donald Trump to ensure the “special relationship” does not falter in the wake of his election.
The Telegraph understands that ministers will be forced to seek Mr Farage’s advice because they have no links to the President-elect’s inner circle. …
Mrs May spoke to Mr Trump for the first time since his victory – but not until after he had spoken to the leaders of at least nine other nations. …
Mr Farage – who joined Mr Trump on the campaign trail – told the Telegraph the relationship between Mr Trump’s Republican Party and the Conservatives has “completely broken down”. …
Three months ago Boris Johnson, then a relatively new Foreign Secretary, instructed his officials to do more to forge links with Mr Trump’s campaign, fearing that there was too much expectation in the Foreign Office of a victory for Hilary Clinton. …
Mr Farage says that he perceived snubs towards Mr Trump have damaged the relationship between the UK and USA. … “The traditional relationship between the British Conservative party and the Republicans has completely broken down.” …
Any issue between Mr Trump and Mrs May goes back to December 2015, when Mr Trump was criticised by the then Home Secretary over his suggestion that he wanted to ban all Muslims from America. Mrs May said that the comments were “divisive, unhelpful and wrong”. Mr Johnson, who was mayor of London at the time, said his views were “ill-informed” and “complete and utter nonsense”.
Hmm, that trendy snub delivered to Mr Trump doesn’t look too smart now, does it?
Mr Trump was also left furious after MPs in Parliament debated whether Mr Trump should be banned from the UK, even threatening to withdraw £600 million of planned investment in Scotland.
hat-tip Stephen Neil
