Theresa May to meet Donald Trump at White House next week

Theresa May is expected to fly out to the US next week
Jeremy Selwyn
Patrick Grafton-Green24 January 2017

Theresa May will hold talks with Donald Trump next week, becoming one of the first foreign leaders to meet with the US President, the White House has confirmed.

Plans to meet Mrs May are believed to have been pushed forward by Steve Bannon, Mr Trump’s chief strategist.

It follows reports that Mrs May would travel to Washington DC next Thursday for talks with Mr Trump, with a post-Brexit free trade deal likely to be high on the agenda.

A senior White House Official confirmed Mrs May's plans, although Downing Street has not yet released any information about the trip, Sky News reported.

Mrs May is likely to use the early visit to press the case for a free trade deal with the US amid doubts that an agreement would be compatible with Mr Trump's "America first" strategy.

The PM has said she is "confident" of striking a deal and has suggested the UK and US could even reduce barriers to trade before being able to sign a formal agreement after Brexit.

Mrs May is likely to emphasise the the importance of Nato and the EU for collective security and defence after Mr Trump sparked concerns about his commitment to both organisations.

The PM has also promised to hold "very frank" discussions with Mr Trump, making clear she has found some of his comments "unacceptable", including his suggestion that his fame allowed him to "do anything" to women, such as "grabbing them by the pussy".

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have joined women's marches to protest against Mr Trump's presidency.

At least half a million people gathered for a rally outside the US Capitol building while organisers said an estimated 100,000 descended on central London on Saturday as similar events were staged in Edinburgh, Bristol and cities across the US.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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