Boris Johnson and Theresa May have clashed over Donald Trump's cancelled UK visit in a row over the real reason he called off the trip.
Mr
Trump claimed he pulled out of the visit because he disagreed with the
decision to sell off the old building for 'peanuts'. But observers
suggested he did not want to run the gauntlet of protests.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan
was among those on the left who commented saying it was clear that Mr
Trump had 'got the message that many Londoners' did not want him here.
It led to the Foreign Secretary suggesting that Mr Khan had scuppered the visit, branding him a 'puffed up, pompous popinjay'.
Theresa
May, pictured left, and Boris Johnson, pictured right, have clashed
over the real reason that Donald Trump cancelled his visit to London
Mr Trump (pictured) claimed he
pulled out of the visit because he disagreed with the decision to sell
off the old US embassy for 'peanuts'. But observers suggested he did not
want to run the gauntlet of protests
But
minutes before, a 10 Downing Street spokesman had insisted that Theresa
May did not blame the London Mayor for the cancellation.
Mr
Johnson tweeted at about 11am: 'The US is the biggest single investor
in the UK — yet Khan & Corbyn seem determined to put this crucial
relationship at risk.
'We will not allow US-UK relations to be endangered by some puffed up pompous popinjay in City Hall.'
Then
in a sharp contradiction to Mr Johnson's suggestions, a spokesman for
Number 10 said the 'special relationship' had not been damaged by the
Mayor's tweets.
He told The Times: 'No,
the US and the UK are natural, resilient, strong partners and allies,
and we do more together than any two countries in the world.'
Mr
Khan had earlier said in a statement: 'It appears that President Trump
got the message from the many Londoners who love and admire America and
Americans, but find his policies and actions the polar opposite of our
city's values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance.
'His visit next month would without doubt have been met by mass peaceful protests.
'This just reinforces what a mistake it was for Theresa May to extend an invitation of a state visit in the first place.'
The Foreign Secretary suggested that Mr Khan had scuppered the visit, branding him a 'puffed up, pompous popinjay'
The
row over the visit, which sparked headlines around the world, threatens
a new crisis in Britain's relations with the Trump administration.
There is now no date for a visit by the President, who has been in office for a year.
One senior source suggested Mr Trump cancelled because he was unhappy about the arrangements and the scale of the visit.
But
Mr Trump tweeted that he thought the US embassy's move from Grosvenor
Square in London's prestigious Mayfair district to Nine Elms, south of
the Thames, was a 'bad deal'.
He said:
'Reason I cancelled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the
Obama administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest
embassy in London for 'peanuts', only to build a new one in an off
location for $1.2billion. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon - NO!'
Despite
Mr Trump publicly blaming predecessor Barack Obama, the US announced
plans to move to the new site in October 2008 - when his fellow
Republican George W Bush was in the White House.
Mr Trump tweeted overnight that
he was 'not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps
the best located and finest embassy in London for 'peanuts', only to
build a new one in an off location for $1.2billion'
The reversal comes despite Mr Trump telling Theresa May last month that he would come to Britain in the New Year.
Preparations
were advanced for a 'working' visit to officially open the embassy, but
the Mail understands this role will now be performed by Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson.
Mr Trump was also
scheduled to hold talks with Mrs May in No 10, with February 26 and 27
marked in the diary. Downing Street had hoped to confirm the dates this
week.
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