Friday

22nd Sep 2023

Trump to model UK relations on Reagan-Thatcher

  • US president-elect has closer relationships with Nigel Farage than any other British politician and called himself Mr Brexit after the UK voted to leave the EU. (Photo: Jeso Carneiro)

Donald Trump called the UK a "very, very special place” during a phone conversation with British prime minister Theresa May on Thursday (10 November) and invited her to visit the White House ”as soon as possible”.

The US president-elect, whose mother was Scottish, said he would like to revive the special relationship between Britain and America that marked the Ronald Reagan - Margaret Thatcher relationship of the 1980s.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Downing Street said May congratulated Trump on his win and highlighted her wish to strengthen bilateral trade and investment with the US after Brexit.

”But she said that our relationship is so much more than that and our two countries have always stood together as close allies when it counts the most,” the prime minister’s office added.

UK foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, meanwhile, urged Trump critics to stop the "whinge-o-rama" and be "positive about the possibilities”.

Trump’s election has, for instance, boosted British hopes of a quick free-trade deal with the US.

Outgoing US president Barack Obama had said the UK would go to the ”back of the queue” in free-trade negotiations, giving priority to EU trade talks.

But Trump vehemently opposed the EU-US free-trade pact TTIP in his campaign, a pact whose future now looks increasingly bleak.

Still, it doesn’t mean that a UK-US deal will be easy.

The president-elect has insinuated he would only sign an agreement that is heavily skewed to the benefit of the US.

And for all the good cheers and ”special relationship” talk, May was only the ninth head of state Trump called up.

According to British daily Telegraph, the UK government, lacking contacts with the Trump camp, could rely on the UK Independence Party (Ukip) leader Nigel Farage as its ”go between” man .

Before her appointment, May spoke of Trump in critical terms, even if she later refused to endorse either of the candidates.

Farage, on the other hand, is the British politician with the closest ties to Trump. He worked as his consultant during the campaign, including speaking at a rally.

After the UK voted to leave the EU, Trump declared himself ”Mr Brexit” on Twitter.

Farage already declared his willingness to help the British government and asked Trump not to grope May.

”Come and schmooze Theresa – don’t touch her, for goodness’ sake,” Farage joked in an interview with Talksport Radio on Thursday.

He offered to partake in their meetings and fend off sexual assaults if needed.

“I could be there as the responsible adult role, to make sure everything’s OK,” he said.

TTIP's future in Trump's hands

EU commissioners admit they "frankly don't know" what the US president-elect intends to do with the US-EU trade talks.

Merkel urges Trump to respect 'values'

Germany and France have appealed to Donald Trump to respect “shared values”. They “still don’t get it”, a former EU diplomat said.

Obama warns of Trump-type populism in Europe

The US will stick with Nato no matter who is in the White House, according to Barack Obama, but he warned that Trump-style populism was a danger in Europe.

EU’s €500m gender violence plan falls short, say auditors

The 'Spotlight Initiative' was launched in 2017 with a budget of €500 million to end all forms of violence or harmful practices against women and girls in partner countries, but so far it has had "little impact", say EU auditors.

Latest News

  1. Here's the headline of every op-ed imploring something to stop
  2. Report: Tax richest 0.5%, raise €213bn for EU coffers
  3. EU aid for Africa risks violating spending rules, Oxfam says
  4. Activists push €40bn fossil subsidies into Dutch-election spotlight
  5. Europe must Trump-proof its Ukraine arms supplies
  6. Antifascism and fascism are opposites, whatever elites say
  7. MEPs back Germany's Buch to lead ECB supervisory arm
  8. Russia to blame for Azerbaijan attack, EU says

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us