Donald Trump’s Twitter comments directed at Theresa May after she condemned his Britain First retweets were much discussed on site today. We also look at some of the other conversations worth getting involved in, including an NHS funding gap debate.
To join in you can click on the links in the comments below to expand and add your thoughts. We’ll continue to highlight more comments worth reading as the day goes on.
MPs to debate Trump’s Twitter jibe at Theresa May
Donald Trump rebuked the prime minister’s criticism of his sharing anti-Muslim propaganda by tweeting to a user with the same name, but the message was clear, and it seems to have put a strain on the “special relationship”. You shared reaction in today’s live blog as MPs debated.
‘Our isolationism is becoming even more apparent’
Theresa May was right to condemn Trump’s retweet of hard right racism emanating from Britain First, in fact she had no choice, it seems that the whole country was demanding something from her. Jeremy Corbyn and other senior politicians had already done so.
The resulting response from Trump is typical of his belligerent and unthinking behaviour. Yet, if we had not voted to leave the EU, we could have counted on their support with regard to this difference of opinion with Trump.
We don’t know how this spat between Trump and our government will pan out but one thing is sure it will have muddied the waters somewhat. As I’ve said May was right, she had no choice but leaving the EU has made our live doubly difficult in the wider world.
thewash
‘May clearly chose a middle ground between doing the right thing and trying not to offend him’
It’s just a pity that Theresa May’s ‘rebuke’ of Trump was so pathetic. She clearly chose a middle ground between doing the right thing and trying not to offend him, forgetting she was dealing with a man who has the mental age of a six-year-old.
Oh and what is with news channels giving [airtime] to Ann Coulter? Channel 4 last night, Today programme this morning. That’s not balance, that’s giving airtime to a media trained version of the raving racist nutter on the bus.
PopeGregoryTheNinth
NHS leaders meet to discuss cutting services amid funding gap - live updates
We are live blogging as a critical meeting of NHS leaders takes place today to discuss a response to last week’s budget, which has worried practitioners.
‘This is the level that the most moderate Tory minister has stooped to’
When the request for more money for the NHS was low key, the Government insisted that it had given the NHS all it had asked for. This time, a more strident request for more money was met with a fit of pique from the the Chancellor who cut the money he had “intended to give it” because he was angry at [NHS England chief executive] Simon Stevens. This is the level that the most moderate Tory minister has stooped to, what hope can we have that this Tory government as whole will rise above the level of infantile tit for tat and name calling and “get on with the job”?
The trouble is they don’t know what the job is so they descend into squabbling so they don’t have to face the ugly truth that they are utterly incompetent.
SteveRP
‘They don’t want to hear that the majority of British people are prepared to pay higher taxes for the NHS’
This is exactly what the Tories want, in order to demonstrate that the NHS model is now totally out of date and needs root-and-branch reform - i.e. replacement by a private-insurance system. The fact that the majority of British people are prepared to pay higher taxes, provided that the money is earmarked for the NHS, is something they don’t want to hear.
All who voted Conservative in June knew at heart that this was what they were enabling. The collapse of the UK is their doing.
Pedrog
The best city breaks in Germany: readers’ travel tips
You’ve been adding to readers’ tips on some of the best cities to visit in Germany, from lesser-known to well trodden.
Dresden, well and good, but if you are going that far, go further east into the Upper Lusatian area, particularly the town of Bautzen, where street signs (and others) are bilingual, Sorbian and German. The border cities of Zittau and Görlitz are also well worth visiting.
Re Speyer: it should be added that the whole region (Pfalz - the Palatinate) is worth a visit, as it is a wine region rivalling Alsace for quality.
eidos3
Very pleased to see the Guardian giving Germany a travel boost. Its a stunning country to visit as I have many times over the years. Spent a week in Dresden this year and compared with my last visit just after the Wall came down its stunningly restored to its former glory. Lots to see and do and eat and drink. Gets rather hot in the summer though! A city missed from this list is Heidelberg. Cute, lively bars, good cultural scene, lovely villages on the Necker. Also on Hamburg the Railway Wonderland Museum was missed out – I have no interest in railways but on a recommendation spent a fantastic few hours in this place.
medicallyretired
Comments have been edited for length. This article will be updated throughout the day with some of the most interesting ways readers have been participating across the site.
