Closing summary
We’re going to close down this live blog now. Thanks for reading and commenting. Here’s a summary of the day’s latest events:
- Perhaps the most significant development of the day was the joint press conference held by the US president, Donald Trump, and the UK prime minister, Theresa May. You can read a comprehensive summary of that here. Within hours, Trump would row back on one of his key claims. He also contradicted himself over comments he made on tape about Meghan Markle.
- Tory leadership hopefuls took part in their first hustings. Boris Johnson said the party faced an existential crisis over Brexit and, with his hand at the tiller, the UK would be steered out of the EU on 31 October – with or without a deal. Sajid Javid warned against trying to defeat the Brexit party by becoming it.
- Two candidates withdrew from the race, while the Tory party made it more difficult for outside bets to stand. Kit Malthouse and James Cleverly both bowed out, having attracted relatively little support.
- More than half of Change UK’s MPs left the party. Once, they were 11. Now, only five remain. They have vowed to fight on under the leadership of Anna Soubry.
If you’d like to read yet more, my colleague Rowena Mason has the full story:
Updated
Trump, who met the Brexit party leader Nigel Farage this afternoon, also told the programme he felt it inappropriate to meet the leader of the official opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, who had requested a meeting and who also spoke at a rally protesting the state visit.
I don’t know [Corbyn]. He wanted to meet. It was very tough to meet and probably inappropriate to meet to be honest with you. A lot of things are happening right now with respect to our country. Your country, my country – let’s call them almost the same because I feel that way, it’s really a tremendous relationship. So I didn’t think it was appropriate to me him but I would. I certainly would. I have no problem with it.
Updated
Donald Trump is rowing back on his claim that the NHS was “on the table” in post-Brexit deal negotiations. At a joint press conference with Theresa May this afternoon, he said:
When you’re dealing on trade, everything is on the table. So, NHS or anything else. A lot more than that.
Those comments were met with immediate condemnation from several Tory leadership hopefuls, as well as senior Labour politicians.
This evening, ITV News reports that the US president has now told Good Morning Britain:
I don’t see it being on the table. Somebody asked me a question today and I said everything is up for negotiation, because everything is. But that’s something I would not see as part of trade. That’s not trade.
Trump’s ambassador to London, Woody Johnson, has previously said the US will want access to the NHS as part of a trade deal.
Updated
The former cabinet minister, Nicky Morgan, one of the leading figures in the One Nation group that’s holding tonight’s Tory leadership hustings, has said Boris Johnson was “subdued” and showed his serious side.
She said he told MPs that, if Brexit was delayed again, there was a risk the “relevance” of the 2016 referendum result “starts to wane”. Asked about Johnson’s warning about the future of the party, Morgan said:
I think we all know that the stakes are very high.
Updated
Donald Trump has acknowledged that he referred to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, as “nasty” on the eve of his state visit to the UK – contradicting his earlier claim he had not done so, which was itself a contradiction of an audio recording of him doing so.
The US president made the original comments in an interview with the Sun newspaper; an audio recording of which the paper published. The journalist asked him if he was aware that Meghan had “not so nice” about him during his election campaign. He replied: “No, I did not know that she was nasty.”
Later, Trump tweeted:
I never called Meghan Markle “nasty.” Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019
Speaking to Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, he said:
They said some of the things that she said and It’s actually on tape. And I said: ‘Well, I didn’t know she was nasty’. I wasn’t referring to ‘she’s nasty’. I said she was nasty about me. And essentially I didn’t know she was nasty about me.
The US president added: “You know what? She’s doing a good job, I hope she enjoys her life... I think she’s very nice.” Trump said he had spoken to Prince Harry during his visit. “I congratulated him and I think he’s a terrific guy. The royal family is really nice.”
He said he had not discussed the issue with Prince Harry.
I was going to because it was so falsely put out there. And when you see that transcript and you see, it’s the exact opposite of what they said. Did you look at the transcript?
Updated
The Tory leadership hopeful, Andrea Leadsom, is understood to have told tonight’s hustings that she has a three-point plan to deliver Brexit – the “most urgent priority of the next prime minister”.
I offer decisive leadership focused on the strength of our nation on the world stage, and delivering the opportunity for every individual to fulfil their aspirations and become the very best they can be.
She told MPs she would kill off the withdrawal agreement and leave the EU on 31 October without a deal. And she set out three steps she said would be necessary in doing so:
I will introduce a citizens rights bill to give certainty to UK citizens living in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK to lift the weight of uncertainty from their shoulders. I will also introduce an EU departure provisions bill which will agree areas such as sovereign bases and Gibraltar, our security relationship, data adequacy and air transport. Areas which are already agreed and welcomed by both sides.
I will massively ramp up preparations for leaving with a managed exit at the end of October. I will speed up work on alternative arrangements for the Northern Ireland border and look at specific arrangements for just-in-time supply chains and agrifoods. This will give business the certainty it needs. Preparations will be completely transparent with regular updates to parliament.
A delegation of ministers will be sent to talk directly with the EU27 heads of government about the wide range of measures the UK is taking to prepare for leaving on 31 October. It will be for the EU27 to decide what steps they want to accept. The UK would convene a summit in early September in Ireland or Northern Ireland to bring together the EU Council and the proposed new EU commissioners who were willing to grasp the issue ahead of the UK’s exit.
It is unclear for the moment how Leadsom plans to win over the Commons, where there has been no majority for a no-deal Brexit.
She also set out other priorities. She proposes a cross-party commission on social care, “supported by specialists in the field and members of the public. It will be tasked with producing a solution for social care provision that will last generations, regardless of who is in government”.
On the subject of the climate crisis, she said:
I am proud of the Paris agreement and I will sign up to the Committee on Climate Change target of 0% target emissions by 2050. I will bid for the UK to host the UN Climate Change Conference in 2020. I will support our industrial strategy to promote clean energy, jobs and skills. Our overseas development aid will support decarbonisation overseas.
Updated
Boris Johnson has told the hustings:
The way to win in any seat is to stop banging on about Brexit and put that bawling baby to bed, pacify it and recapture the political agenda with one nation Conservatism.
Gavin Williamson, the former defence secretary and a supporter of Johnson, said there was now a “dawning realisation” among Tory MPs that “Boris is the only one who is going to be able to save the party”.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have arrived at Winfield House, the US ambassador’s residence in Regent’s Park, for dinner with the US president and his wife.
Charles and Trump shared a joke as they stood at the entrance of the house for photographs. The UK’s prime minister and foreign secretary are among the guests.
Updated
The frontrunner, Boris Johnson, has been addressing Tory MPs, telling them a second Brexit referendum would be divisive and he would be “against it with every fibre of my body”.
He ruled out a coalition with the Brexit party and said Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour was “the weakest official opposition in a generation”.
On Brexit, he claimed the so-called Brady amendment to replace the Irish backstop was the only plan that had the support of the Commons. But he added that the government must be ready for a no-deal Brexit if necessary.
Johnson may have a point about backing for the Brady amendment, which MPs narrowly passed back in January. But the EU showed no willingness to even consider playing along.
My colleague, Rowena Mason, quotes Johnson as telling the MPs:
We are looking at a very difficult situation and we must get ready, eventually but not immediately, to beat Jeremy Corbyn and put Farage back in his box.
We are facing an existential crisis and will not be forgiven if we do not deliver Brexit on 31 Oct.
I believe I am best placed to lift this party, beat Jeremy Corbyn and excite people about conservatism and conservative values.
We need to realise the depth of the problems we face – unless we get on and do this thing (Brexit), we will be punished for a very long time. There is a very real choice between getting Brexit done and the potential extinction of this great party but I believe I can take on Farage and win back the voters being won over by him.
Johnson also ruled out calling a general election.
Updated
Trump has been meeting various pro-Brexit figures, including the two former cabinet ministers, Iain Duncan Smith and Owen Paterson, and the Brexit party leader, Nigel Farage. The US president has also been the object of protests, including in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London.
Duncan Smith and Farage both made clear the process of the UK leaving the European Union was on the president’s mind during their discussions. A spokesman for the former Tory leader said the meeting had “been in the offing for a while”. It covered a “whole range of subjects including Brexit”, he added.
It is reported that Paterson and Duncan Smith held talks on behalf of the hard Brexit-supporting Tory backbench group, the ERG:
ERG sources say the pair were representing the ERG
— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) June 4, 2019
On his LBC show, Farage claimed that “most people will agree yesterday went very, very well [for Trump]”, adding that the president himself – who claimed not to have seen protests against him – was pleased with it. Farage added:
Clearly, it was a private meeting but what I can say is he was in top form, he was ebullient. He absolutely believes in Brexit, thinks it’s the right thing for the country to do. He’s obviously concerned it’s taking a very long time.
In Edinburgh, however, a crowd attended an anti-Trump demonstration, which was addressed by the Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard and others. He told the audience:
We say: ‘no to war, yes to peace, no to Trump, yes to the citizens of America’.
Crowds gathered outside St Giles Cathedral, despite showers, to join the demonstration. Many were holding placards:
People also gathered outside Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Many held placards from Stand Up To Racism and the Unison union, with speakers on the Buchanan Street steps criticising comments made by the US president. One person held aloft a homemade sign saying: “Trump - Feed Him To The Corgis.”
As the rain came down on the crowds, those gathered were encouraged to chant slogans such as “Donald Trump, off our streets” and “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here”.
And, in London, Sian Bahia has been speaking to some of the demonstrators. Katie Greene, a 45-year-old teacher, said:
Trump is a misogynist, he is racist, he is rude and we don’t like him. I was disgusted when it was announced that he is receiving a state visit – it’s terrible. Even before he landed, he was being rude about our mayor. He should keep his nose right out of British politics.
Doreen Witter, who is 64 and a student, said:
I do not like anything that comes out of Trump’s mouth. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s supporting Farage and [Boris] Johnson; all they care about is being a celebrity. Trump, you and your family should go home.
Updated
The first hustings of the Tory leadership contest is being held this evening. More than 80 of the party’s MPs are packed into a Commons committee room, though no journalists – they’ve been shut out.
Outside secret hustings of Tory leadership candidates - Boris Johnson, Rory Stewart, Sajid Javid and Andrea Leadsom all pitching to MPs. But the press not allowed in and the public not allowed to know what people who want to be the next PM might be promising to get their votes
— Rowena Mason (@rowenamason) June 4, 2019
Robust discussion between reporters and Conservative officials and MPs about why reporters — or even a single reporter on behalf of the rest of us — is not allowed in to observe
— Chris Mason (@ChrisMasonBBC) June 4, 2019
The home secretary, Sajid Javid, has told the assembled MPs:
If we make the wrong choice in this leadership election we could end up with a leader who thinks the way to lead is to exploit division.
He warned that, if the party doesn’t evolve, “voters will go for change in the form of Corbyn”. And he added:
If we make the wrong choice in this leadership election, we could end up with a leader who thinks the way to lead is to exploit division.
Javid received a warm response, with banging of tables heard from outside, after telling the MPs: “We will not beat the Brexit Party by becoming the Brexit Party.”
Updated
Tories make it tougher to stand for leader
The Conservatives have agreed to a rule change that will raise the threshold for those wishing to stand for the party’s leadership – as 11 candidates vie for the role.
The 1922 Committee, which represents backbench Tory MPs, and the Conservative Party Board met today to agree the changes and have announced a schedule for the contest.
In short, candidates will have from 10am to 5pm next Monday to formally enter the race. They’ll need a proposer and a seconder, as well as the support of six other MPs.
A process of ballots among MPs will follow over the next fortnight, with the lowest-ranked falling out at each stage. Any candidate failing to secure the support of at least 5% (in effect, 16 votes) at the first stage on 13 June, will be eliminated. At the second, on 18 June, they will require at least 10% (or 32 votes).
Further ballots are scheduled for the following two days and the process will be repeated until only two candidates remain. They will then face the party’s membership, who’ll decide the next leader.
Once the parliamentary process is completed, CCHQ will assume responsibility for the administration of hustings and the vote of the Conservative party membership. This stage of the process will be completed in the week beginning Monday 22nd July, with the first membership hustings planned for the 22ndJune. Further details will be published in due course.
• This entry was amended on 5 June 2019 because an earlier version misnamed the 1922 Committee as the 1992 Committee. This has been corrected.
Updated
Earlier, we reported that six of Change UK’s 11 MPs had decided to leave the party (see: 4.14pm). The remaining five – Anna Soubry, Chris Leslie, Ann Coffey, Mike Gapes and Joan Ryan – have now released a statement saying they plan to fight on with Soubry as their leader.
Challenging the established political parties was never going to be easy. But we remain determined to fix Britain’s broken politics and we are in this for the long haul.
You may have heard the news that some of our MPs group have decided to leave Change UK, which is saddening and disappointing just at the moment we need to roll up our sleeves, challenge the Brexit emergency and champion sensible evidence-based policy-making in the face of the main parties drifting to the ideological fringes.
We regret their decision, but it is vital we continue to lead and look forward to future elections – and get started on building our policies and party across the country.
We have a responsibility to our amazing European election candidates and 100,000 supporters and the near-600,000 people who voted for us – as well as a duty to the country – to continue this task. The British people need more than regrets about the state of our politics, they need solutions.
We are delighted that Anna Soubry has taken on the role as our new leader, and our hope is to quickly broaden out our nationwide leadership to include some of our key supporters and activists from across the country. Change UK doesn’t just belong to MPs. It belongs to the country and those looking for a sense of hope and leadership to genuinely change our politics, not simply settle for the existing party status quo.
We hope that you agree this is a cause worth fighting for – and we will need your help and support going forward. While British politics slips into chaos around us, now is the time to stand firm in our beliefs and champion the mainstream centre ground values we articulated when we left our former parties in the first place.
Nigel Farage is not the only Brexiter who has been to the US ambassador’s resident to meet President Trump this afternoon. Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, and Owen Paterson, the Conservative former environment secretary, have both seen the president. They were photographed leaving.
That’s all from me for today.
My colleague Kevin Rawlinson is taking over now.
Piers Morgan, a friend of Donald Trump’s since he appeared on Trump’s US show Celebrity Apprentice, has interviewed the US president for Good Morning Britain, the ITV show he now co-presents.
WORLD EXCLUSIVE:
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 4, 2019
President Donald Trump will be talking to Piers Morgan about meeting the Queen, Brexit, talks with Iran and more.
Make sure you watch Good Morning Britain tomorrow morning from 6am to see the full interview. #GMBTrump@realDonaldTrump |@piersmorgan pic.twitter.com/WODkKgl0a4
Kit Malthouse withdraws from Tory leadership contest
Kit Malthouse has withdrawn from the Tory leadership contest.
In his statement explaining why, he does not quite say he had no realistic chance of winning - the explanation offered by James Cleverly this morning when he announced he was withdrawing his own candidacy. (See 11.32am.) Instead he argued that a relative unknown like himself (someone from “a new generation”) could only win if there were a lengthy contest but that he accepted the party wanted this contest over as soon as possible.
I have decided to withdraw from the contest for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Thank you to all those who have supported me. pic.twitter.com/9alByxmvT3
— Join Kit (@kitmalthouse) June 4, 2019
In the ConservativeHome tally this morning, Malthouse had just six declared supporters - two more than Cleverly.
There are still 11 contenders left in the field.
Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, has tweeted about his meeting this afternoon with President Trump.
Good meeting with President Trump – he really believes in Brexit and is loving his trip to London.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 4, 2019
Trump/May press conference - Summary
Here are the main points from the Trump/May press conference.
- Donald Trump, the US president, confirmed that the US would want to include access to the NHS market in any US-UK trade talks. Woody Johnson, the US ambassador, said this at the weekend, and Trump was asked if he agreed with Johnson that the entire economy should be on the table in trade talks, including the NHS. He replied:
I think everything with a trade deal is on the table. When you’re dealing in trade, everything is on the table - so NHS or anything else, a lot more than that, but everything will be on the table, absolutely.
But, as my colleague Patrick Wintour points out, Theresa May had to explain to Trump what the NHS was.
Trump fails to recognize acronym "NHS". May tells him it's "our national health service". Trump then says "everything should be on the table" in a US-UK free trade deal. Says a deal can double/treble trade.
— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) June 4, 2019
In response, Theresa May pushed back, saying that there would only be a deal if both sides agreed.
The point in making trade deals is of course that both sides negotiate and come to an agreement about what should or should not be in that trade deal for the future.
Trump’s answer has generated a row, with both Labour and Tory politicians insisting that the NHS would not be included in a potential US-UK trade deal. (See 3.53pm and 4.04pm.) But Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, reckons that the whole row is a red herring because US trade deals never oblige governments to privatise public services like the NHS in the ways critics claim this deal might.
An anonymous British trade official messages me to say: pic.twitter.com/5GN6nUoN1p
— Sam Lowe (@SamuelMarcLowe) June 4, 2019
- Trump withdrew the US threat to stop sharing intelligence with the UK because of its policy over Huawei and 5G, claiming that the two countries now agreed on this issue. Asked if the US would impose limits on intelligence-sharing if the UK used Huawei infrastructure, he replied:
No, because we’re gonna have absolutely an agreement on Huawei and everything else.
We have an incredible intelligence relationship and we will be able to work out any differences.
We did discuss it - I see absolutely no limitations, we’ve never had limitations.
This is a truly great ally and partner and we’ll have no problem with that.
The Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith claims this is a win for May.
Overshadowed by the other glitzier news lines - Trump ruled out limiting UK-US intelligence sharing over Huawei row. [Which is a win for May]
— Ben Riley-Smith (@benrileysmith) June 4, 2019
But it is not clear what the “agreement” is that Trump was referring to, because Downing Street said this matter was still being reviewed.
- Trump criticised Jeremy Corbyn as a “negative force” and said the Labour leader had requested a meeting with him - despite boycotting the state banquet held in Trump’s honour. Asked about Corbyn, Trump said:
[Corbyn] wanted to meet today or tomorrow and I decided I would not do that.
I think he is, from where I come from, somewhat of a negative force.
I think the people should look to do things correctly as opposed to criticise.
I really don’t like critics as much as I like and respect people who get things done - so I decided not to meet.
- Trump backed Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt as candidates for next prime minister, but claimed he did not know what Michael Gove would be like. He said:
I know Boris. I like him. I have liked him for a long time. I think he would do a very good job. I know Jeremy, I think he would do a very good job.
I don’t know Michael - would he do a good job? Tell me.
- Trump defended his decision to criticise Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London. He said:
I think he has been a not very good mayor from what I understand.
He has done a poor job, crime is up, a lot of problems, and I don’t think he should be criticising a representative of the US that can do so much good for the UK ...
He should be positive not negative - he is a negative force not a positive force.
If you look at what he said, he hurts the people of this great country and I think he should actually focus on his job, it would be a lot better if he did that - he could straighten out some of the problems that he has caused.
- He said that May deserved “a lot of credit” for her work on Brexit. He said a deal was now “teed up”. He said:
I think it will happen and I believe the prime minister has brought it to a very good point where something will take place in the not-too-distant future. I think she’s done a very good job.
- He said Brexit “probably should happen” - but he refused to say Britain should definitely leave at the end of October with or without a deal. Asked if the UK should go ahead and leave the UK on 31 October without a deal, he refused to answer, implying that he had not been following the issue in enough detail. On Brexit generally, he said:
I would think that it will happen and it probably should happen. This is a great, great country and it wants its own identity ... I believe it would be good for the country, yes.
In the past Trump was much more positive about Brexit, telling a press conference with May in January 2017 that it would be “a wonderful thing” for Britain.
- He claimed (falsely - see 3.49pm) that thousands of people had been cheering him on the streets of London. Asked about the protests, he said:
We left the prime minister, the Queen, the royal family, there were thousands of people on the streets cheering.
Even coming over today there were thousands of people cheering.
Then I heard there were protests, I said ‘Where are the protests? I don’t see any protests’.
I did see a small protest today when I came - very small - so a lot of it is fake news I hate to say.
- He said Nato countries should spend more on defence if they were not meeting the 2% target. Nato countries are supposed to spend 2% of GDP on defence. Trump said:
The United Kingdom is also a key partner in Nato. The prime minister and I agree that our Nato allies must increase their defence spending.
They have no choice, they must fulfil their obligations.
Updated
Farage arrives at US ambassador's residence for meeting with Trump
Nigel Farage has arrived at the US ambassador’s residence for a meeting with Donald Trump, Reuters is reporting.
BREXIT PARTY LEADER FARAGE ARRIVES AT U.S. AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN LONDON - REUTERS PHOTOGRAPHER
— Reuters UK Politics (@ReutersLobby) June 4, 2019
And here is the picture.
Six of Change UK's 11 MPs quit party, Heidi Allen confirms
Earlier my colleagues Heather Stewart and Jessica Elgot reported that Change UK, the new party set up by eight Labour MPs and three Tories after they left their respective parties, was about to split. (See 12.26pm.)
Heidi Allen, who was Change UK’s interim leader, has now put out a statement confirming this. Six of the party’s 11 MPs are leaving to sit as independents.
Statement from @ChukaUmunna @angelasmithmp @gavinshuker @lucianaberger @sarahwollaston and I pic.twitter.com/dQKy2io1hR
— Heidi Allen MP (@heidiallen75) June 4, 2019
Jeremy Corbyn claims that the NHS would end up up for sale under the “no-deal disaster capitalism plans” for a trade deal with the US championed by Tory leadership contenders. (See 3.53pm.)
But Dominic Raab, one of the most rightwing leadership contenders, and one of those most relaxed about the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, says Corbyn is wrong.
I want to see the UK get fair deals on trade with the US and many other countries when we leave the EU. But the NHS is not for sale to any country and never would be if I was Prime Minister.
— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) June 4, 2019
And Matt Hancock, the current health secretary and another leadership contender, is saying the same thing.
Dear Mr President. The NHS isn’t on the table in trade talks - and never will be. Not on my watch.
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) June 4, 2019
Yesterday Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary and another leadership contender, said he agreed with Hancock on this issue.
And Sam Gyimah, the leadership contender seen as having the least chance of winning, also says the NHS should not be on the table in a US-UK trade deal.
Let me state unambiguously that the NHS should not be used as a bargaining chip in any future trade talks.
— Sam Gyimah MP (@SamGyimah) June 4, 2019
This is from Jeremy Corbyn on the Trump/May press conference.
Theresa May stood next to @realDonaldTrump as he said the NHS will be "on the table" in a US trade deal. And that’s what Tory leadership contenders and Farage are lining up for the No Deal disaster capitalism plans they have.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 4, 2019
They all need to understand: our NHS is not for sale.
This is from the BBC’s James Cook.
I have spent all day on the streets of London. We struggled through throngs of anti-Trump protestors, many tens of thousands of them. I also saw tiny handfuls of Trump fans. This is not fake news. We have the pictures. https://t.co/Cs2gQjrT7S
— James Cook (@BBCJamesCook) June 4, 2019
The Daily Mirror’s political editor, Pippa Crerar, thinks Labour should have admitted that President Trump refused to meet Jeremy Corbyn before Trump said so at this press conference.
It was a bad call from Labour not to say beforehand that Trump had refused a meeting with Corbyn. They could've acted like the grown-ups in the room. But instead Corbyn ends up looking less than candid. https://t.co/zs1eQAJYM5
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) June 4, 2019
This is from the Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale, confirming the point I made earlier about President Trump’s lying about crowd sizes being habitual.
Other times Trump has made things up about large pro-Trump crowds greeting him on his trips: pic.twitter.com/8Jte6xidmR
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 4, 2019
Trump/May press conference - Snap verdict
Donald Trump is famously unpredictable, but that does not mean he always causes mayhem at a news conference (which would make him too easy to predict). There have been occasions when he has run riot at events like this, like the Nato summit in Brussels last year or his last press conference with Theresa May, at Chequers last summer, when he praised Boris Johnson, advised May to adopt a tougher stance over Brexit, and tried (only half-successfully) to wind back comments he made in an interview with the Sun saying the Chequers plan would scupper a UK-US trade deal. And there have been occasions when he has come over as unexpectedly emollient, as he was in the very first Trump/May press conference in the White House in January 2017.
Today, he was on relatively good behaviour. True, at one point he made a completely ludicrous claim about there being thousands of people on the streets of London to welcome him yesterday, but it is as if lying about the size of crowds has become such a Trump trademark that it no longer seems particularly shocking. On the more substantive stuff, he sounded as if he was out to be helpful. He claimed that the Huawei row between the UK and the US was all but resolved - which may not be true (you can never be sure with Trump), but which may at least lower the temperature a bit in talks with Washington. He confirmed that he would like everything to be on the table in a UK-US trade deal, but it sounded as if he was coaxed into saying this, and it did not seem as if he was setting out to be provocative (even though to some he was - the quotes criticising him on this are already coming in). And, above all, he went out of his way to be complimentary about Theresa May - not in an exaggerated way, like last year; today he sounded more sincere, as if he were acting out of consideration, and perhaps even pity. This may well be the last full-on press conference that May holds as prime minister, and it was all rather valedictory.
Given that the UK will have a new prime minister in the next few weeks, what Trump had to say about May’s potential successor was perhaps more important than anything he said about May. Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt both got the thumbs up, but rather surprisingly, despite Michael Gove’s hagiographic journalism (see 12.54pm), Trump said he did not have a view about him. It felt a bit as if he was reserving judgment.
And he also sounded a lot more non-committal about Brexit than in the past. At his press conference with May in Washington in January 2017 he said that Brexit was going to be a “wonderful thing” for the UK. Today, while not criticising Brexit, he sounded more cautious about celebrating it. Perhaps even he is realising that it is all not as easy as Johnson and Gove promised.
Updated
Labour has put out this statement about Jeremy Corbyn requesting a meeting with Donald Trump. A spokesman said:
Jeremy Corbyn proposed a meeting with Donald Trump during the president’s visit. Jeremy is ready to engage with the president on a range of issues, including the climate emergency, threats to peace and the refugee crisis.
Updated
Labour sources are confirming that Jeremy Corbyn did request a meeting with President Trump, as he revealed in the press conference. (See 2.25pm.)
Q: [To May] Do you think a deal on Brexit is possible? Would it have made a difference if you had followed Trump’s advice on what to do?
May says she still thinks it is in the best interests of the UK to leave the EU with a deal.
It will be for whoever succeeds her to take this forward.
She says Trump advised her to sue. She decided not to. She negotiated and got a good deal.
Trump says he would have sued. “But it’s okay,” he says. He says he may have settled.
He says May has done a good job.
Q: [To Trump] What did you say in your conversation with Boris Johnson? And will you meet Michael Gove?
Trump says he knows Johnson and likes him. And he knows Jeremy Hunt and likes him too. But he does not know Gove, he says.
- Trump endorses Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt as possible successors to Theresa May. But he says he does not know Michael Gove.
And that’s it.
I will post a verdict, summary and reaction shortly.
Updated
Trump says Mexico should stop millions of people entering the US illegally.
Mexico can do this, he says.
If Mexico does not, the US will keep increasing tariffs.
He says he does not want to believe that Mexico is run by drug cartels.
Trump says 'everything on the table' in talks on US-UK trade deal
Q: [To Trump] Should everything be on the table in the talks on a UK-US trade deal?
Trump says “everything is on the table” in the talks.
But May says there will only be a deal if both sides agree.
Q: [To May] Will you take Trump’s advice and stay on?
“Nice try”, says May.
She says she is a woman of her word.
Updated
Q: Should the UK leave the EU on 31 October with or without a deal?
Trump suggests he has not been following this closely.
But he thinks the UK should leave.
He claims May has brought the UK to a very good point in this regard.
- Trump says May has brought the UK to a “good point” in the Brexit negotiation.
Q: Will you refuse the UK intelligence because of its involvement with Huawei?
Trump says this will not be a problem because the UK and the US will reach an agreement on what to do about Huawei.
- Trump says the US and the UK will reach an agreement about a joint approach to Huawei.
Updated
Trump says Corbyn requested a meeting but he turned him down
They are now taking questions.
Q: [To Trump] What would you say to Jeremy Corbyn? Could you do a trade deal with him?
Trump says he does not know Corbyn. Corbyn wanted to meet with him today or tomorrow. He decided not to meet Corbyn, he says.
He says he sees Corbyn as a “negative force”.
- Trump claims Corbyn requested a meeting with him. Trump turned Corbyn down, he says. He describes him as a “negative force”.
Corbyn has been critical of him, he says. He says he does not like people who are critical.
On the subject of the protests, Trump says there were “thousands of people” on the streets cheering him yesterday. And again today.
He says he did not see protesters yesterday.
He says he saw some today, but it was a very small group.
The reports of the protests have been “fake news”.
- Trump claims “thousands” of people have been on the streets in London cheering him. (This is not true.)
Q: [To May] Do you agree with Trump that Sadiq Khan is a stone cold loser?
Trump replies to this.
He says Khan has been a poor mayor. He is a negative force. He should focus on dealing with the problems he faces, Trump says.
Updated
Trump says he is looking forward to agreeing a “phenomenal” trade deal with the UK.
He says he will be visiting the Churchill War Rooms later.
And he ends by paying tribute to Theresa May, saying she is a professional, and that it has been a pleasure working with her.
Trump says Nato members who are not hitting the 2% target must increase defence spending
Trump says all members of the Nato alliance “must fulfill their obligations”.
They have no choice. They must fulfill their obligations.
- Trump says Nato members who are not hitting the 2% target must increase defence spending.
Updated
President Trump is speaking now.
He starts by saying how much he appreciated the state banquet last night and the Queen’s hospitality.
Turning to D-day, he praises the way American and British soldiers worked together.
He thanks Britain for its contribution to the fight against Islamic State (although he uses the term Isis).
Pres Trump says he's honored to be back in Britain. Said last night's State Banquet in his honor was "lovely," and he calls The Queen "a fantastic person," and thanks her for the invitation to make a State Visit. pic.twitter.com/kdhdKPKSX8
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 4, 2019
Updated
May summarises what she and Trump spoke about in their talks this morning.
Cooperation had deepened on security, she says. And their economies too are more tightly bound together. Some 1 million Americans work for British companies, and 1 million Britons work for American companies, she says.
She says she and Trump agreed they wanted an ambitious trade agreement after Brexit, and from their talks today she knows they are still committed to this.
Updated
Theresa May is speaking now.
She says this week we commemorate D-day, 75 years ago.
The British and Americans have been historic partners, she says. They have shared values, and those values will endure for the next 75 years and beyond, she says. That is why she is so pleased to welcome President Trump to the UK.
She says for the last two years she and Trump have been the guardians of this friendship.
She reminds the audience who they have worked together, particularly when the US expelled Russian diplomats after the Salisbury attack and in responding to the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
(From my office in the Commons, with the windows open, we can hear the anti-Trump protest getting much louder.)
Updated
From CNN’s Betsy Klein
Police sirens and audible boos from the crowd protesting outside Number 10 Downing as President Trump and PM May and their spouses head to their joint press conference pic.twitter.com/RPrMiyHvgB
— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) June 4, 2019
From NBC’s Bill Neely
A crowd of several 100 jeers & boos as @realDonaldTrump emerges from Downing St. Talks with British PM @theresa_may, also chanting “Donald Trump Go Back Home!”
— Bill Neely (@BillNeelyNBC) June 4, 2019
Donald Trump and Theresa May are now walking from No 10 to the Foreign Office, which is just the other side of Downing Street, followed by their spouses.
Updated
From the Mirror’s Pippa Crerar
More of the Trump dynasty arriving - Ivanka (plus national security advisor John Bolton) pic.twitter.com/X8SkIJCeLb
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) June 4, 2019
From Ben Riley-Smith, the Telegraph’s US editor
Watching Fox News preamble before Trump-May presser is brilliant. We've been told UK would be "dead" if US hadn't intervened in WW2. And that George Washington was Britain's “number one nemesis”.
— Ben Riley-Smith (@benrileysmith) June 4, 2019
Trump/May press conference
The Trump-May press conference is starting very soon.
This is from the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman.
Pompeo and Mnuchin, Mulvaney and Kellyanne Conway, Woody Johnson walk into room for joint presser. Greet the Trump family and then sit.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 4, 2019
Updated
Just a few hundred United Against Trump protesters were in Parliament Square just before 1.30pm, where some were engaged in a confrontation with pro-Trump supporters who had come out to welcome the president and counter the demonstration against his presence in London.
Bob Marley tracks played quietly from a mobile stage in front of Westminster Abbey and political groups had stalls set up around the perimeter of the square, but it appeared as though the Parliament Square rally had been abandoned. As the Guardian made its way to the area, along Embankment, many people were walking the opposite direction, back towards Whitehall.
Political debate between pro- and anti-Trump protesters did not manage to surpass name calling, with one man’s chant of “Stop Trump” met with “Bye bye EU”, and an anti-Trump protester telling one man to “shut the fuck up”.
Pro-Trump protesters confront #TrumpProtest people in Parliament Square #TrumpUKVisit pic.twitter.com/dLxKMwZYDj
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) June 4, 2019
Among those welcoming Trump to London was Lorraine Chappell, a retiree from London who wore a union flag as a scarf and carried a placard saying “Welcome President Trump”. She said:
I’m protesting today to welcome Donald Trump to London because America is our greatest ally and Donald Trump is a strong leader. I’m hoping [the UK will] do trade deals with the USA post-Brexit and he’s here today on the invitation of the Queen and these people should show some respect.
On the protesters, Chappell said:
It’s disgusting, it’s absolutely disgusting. I’m sure they are happy to go and have their holidays in America, but they are not happy to support its president. If the Queen went and [the Americans] made a balloon of the Queen we would be horrified.
America helped us to win the war. At the end of the day, without them we would all be speaking German by now.
We are in the minority, we know, and that’s why we came out here today. I don’t know what the Americans must think of this country if they saw what’s going on today. You can love him [Trump] or you can hate him, but you should show him respect.
"You can love him of you can hate him, but show him respect."
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) June 4, 2019
Lorraine Chappell, a retiree from London, who was among counter protesters in Parliament Square against the #TrumpProtest#TrumpUKVisit pic.twitter.com/nHGsPHf53B
Updated
Here is another anti-Trump protester in London explaining why she is demonstrating.
And here are some pictures of Jeremy Corbyn speaking in Whitehall.
Jeremy Corbyn is speaking at the anti-Trump demonstration in Whitehall.
He welcomes the diversity of the crowd.
Addressing complaints about his decision to boycott the state banquet last night, he says he is not refusing to meet anyone. He would be willing to talk to President Trump, he says.
But he condemns Trump for his attack on Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London. He says he is very proud to have a Muslim as mayor of London.
Corbyn restates his opposition to racism.
He says he would never accept a trade deal that ended up with the NHS being up for sale. He adds the NHS must stay free at the point of deliver.
He also criticises Trump’s record on refugees, and says refugees should never be treated as enemies. They are fellow human beings, he says.
From there, he moves on to war and reminds the audience that he opposed the Iraq war in 2003. (At this point he is moving away from Trump, to an extent – Trump also says the Iraq war was a mistake.)
Corbyn ends by saying that a few weeks ago the Commons voted for a motion saying the UK was facing a climate emergency.
And he says “protest and activism” eventually lead to change.
Updated
More from the venue for the May-Trump press conference.
The view from Durbar Court at the Foreign Office ahead of the Trump/May press conference #TrumpVisitUK pic.twitter.com/hocIo8EDRQ
— Gordon Rayner (@gordonrayner) June 4, 2019
Updated
More on handshakegate. (See 1.14pm.) To me, the explanation that you do not shake hands with someone you shook hands with at a meeting an hour or so earlier seems perfectly sound. That’s the No 10 explanation. But the White House pool has offered a different take. The pool reporter says:
To clarify on handshakes, PM May shook hands with FLOTUS and greeted POTUS but did not shake hands with him as FLOTUS was reaching across to shake Philip May’s hand.
For anyone who has never watched West Wing, POTUS stands for president of the United States and FLOTUS for first lady of the United States.
Updated
There has been some interest on social media in the fact that, when Trump arrived at Downing Street, he did not shake Theresa May’s hand – even though he did shake hands with her husband.
But the encounter took place shortly after May and Trump attended a business breakfast together at St James’s Palace (see 11.10am), where they did shake hands. “One only shakes another’s hand once in a day,” said a No 10 source, quite reasonably.
Updated
President Trump will be visiting the Churchill War Rooms in Whitehall later with Theresa May, the White House pool is reporting. Melania Trump and Philip May will attend too.
But Boris Johnson will not be going. At one stage, when the state visit was being planned, there was talk of Johnson giving Trump a tour because Johnson has written a biography of Churchill and is seen as something of an expert. But that might have to wait for another day ...
Updated
According to the Daily Mirror, Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary and favourite in the contest to succeed Theresa May, has had a “friendly” 20-minute conversation with President Trump. But Johnson turned down an invitation to meet Trump tonight because he is due to attend a private hustings organised by One Nation Tories in the Commons, the Mirror reports.
BREAKING Boris Johnson turns down Donald Trump's personal offer of a face-to-face meetinghttps://t.co/ADQDl1pqX0 pic.twitter.com/YXJajdBR3T
— Mirror Breaking News (@MirrorBreaking_) June 4, 2019
According to Owen Bennett, the journalist who is publishing a biography of Michael Gove next month, Gove was rather more critical of Donald Trump before his election as president than he was when he interviewed him a few weeks later for the Times. (See 12.54pm.)
Little reminder of what Gove said about Trump just days before he was elected:
— Owen Bennett (@owenjbennett) June 4, 2019
“He's an intemperate, bullying, foul-mouthed panderer with no experience of public service, no record of charitable endeavour and no intention of paying his taxes."https://t.co/ECNujxi5OQ
Judging by the interview that President Trump gave to the Sun and the Sunday Times before he came to the UK, his view of people tends to be shaped to a considerable extent by whether or not they have praised him. (“I think Boris [Johnson] would be excellent. I like him. I have always liked him ... He has been very positive about me and our country.”)
On that basis, Trump’s meeting with Michael Gove later (see 10.55am and 12.07pm) is likely to go well. I have been rereading Gove’s write-up of his interview with Trump in January 2017 (paywall) and it’s not exactly a hatchet job. Here’s an extract.
Ever since a Virginia farmer called George Washington launched his bid for glory, the British have had a tendency to underestimate American presidents. Especially Republicans. When Abraham Lincoln was in the White House, our government sympathised with the Confederacy. When Ronald Reagan was commander-in-chief, the British foreign policy establishment derided him as a trigger-happy cowboy who was in danger of pitching us into a third world war.
But no Republican, indeed no president, has come to office facing anything like the level of scorn and condescension from British politicians and commentators as Mr Trump. When we talked last Friday, however, he had nothing but kind words and generous sentiments for a nation he believes will be his strongest ally ...
He’s no Kissinger and you’d no more expect him to discuss Clausewitz and Kennan than set fire to his own hair. But intelligence takes many forms. And Mr Trump’s number-rich analysis of defence spending reflects a businessman’s ability to cut through jargon to get to the essentials of a case.
The same Trump who uses gladiatorial press conferences and CAPITALISED tweets to hurl huge crude blocks of rhetoric at opponents is also the master of the P&L accounts and the determined negotiator who sees government as a failing corporation ripe for re-engineering ...
Mr Trump’s conversation flows like a river in spate, overwhelming interruptions and objections, reflecting the force of nature that is the man. But it would be a mistake to think that he is all instinct and impulse. He wants to bring to governing the same calculating business style that he has brought to communicating. While he has been criticised for tweeting attacks on everyone from Meryl Streep to the civil rights hero John Lewis, he has no intention of abandoning Twitter because he believes it gives him a direct connection to the American people.
Updated
More from my colleague Damien Gayle on why people are protesting against Trump.
"Today I am a [chlorinated] chicken."@GlobalJusticeUK activist Jelly Cleaver, from Brixton, on why protesters against the #TrumpUKVisit don't want US trade deals after #Brexit pic.twitter.com/rAmx3lhRZr
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) June 4, 2019
"Trump is a beacon for neoliberalism and racist policies. He's not standing up for the interests of working people."@RMTunion activist John Reid, 65, right, on why he's protesting the #TrumpUKVisit #TrumpProtest #Trump pic.twitter.com/FqjnmWkpvf
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) June 4, 2019
We have got more than an hour to wait until the Trump-May press conference starts, but, as is usual for these events, the journalists have been told to arrive extra early. They are in the Foreign Office and, as ITV’s Robert Peston reports, at least they’re in a nice room.
As press holding pens go, I’ve been in shabbier pic.twitter.com/NaeJAOuKYn
— Robert Peston (@Peston) June 4, 2019
Updated
From the BBC’s Jon Sopel.
BREAKING: anti-Trump demonstrators fail to stop @realDonaldTrump motorcade, but @Number10cat does. Lodges himself under wheel of #TheBeast #StateVisit pic.twitter.com/PAb8pWxItS
— Jon Sopel (@BBCJonSopel) June 4, 2019
Updated
At least half of Change UK’s 11 MPs are poised to leave the fledgling political party, after its dismal performance at the European elections, my colleagues Heather Stewart and Jessica Elgot report.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has described President Trump as a poster boy for the far-right. Expanding on comments he made yesterday, Khan said:
The reality is, when you look around the world there are many leaders whose views I find abhorrent – in Hungary, in Italy, in France, here in the UK, and the poster boy they look up to is Donald Trump.
And it should be a source of concern to us that Donald Trump is the poster boy for the far-right movement around the world and actually some of the things that he has done as president are deeply objectionable, far more objectionable than silly tweets he might send.
Updated
During the visit to Downing Street, the prime minister and president, along with their spouses, viewed the Sussex Declaration – a rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence on sheepskin parchment dating back to the 1780s, the Press Association reports.
Updated
As anti-Trump protesters began their slow march down Whitehall, hundreds of placards remained on the ground around Trafalgar Square, suggesting that organisers had not achieved the numbers expected, or indeed matched those of the last Trump demo.
The square had not quite been filled. Nevertheless, as promised by organisers and despite persistent drizzle, there was indeed a carnival atmosphere on the demonstration, with samba bands and whistles accompanying the thousands slowly streaming towards parliament.
They will only make it halfway. Police have erected barricades along Whitehall to prevent protests outside Downing Street. Instead the demonstration will halt at the Women of world war two memorial, where a stage will feature speakers, then take a circuitous route to Parliament Square for a mass rally.
Lots of placards left over in Trafalgar Square as the #TrumpUKVisit protest departs down Whitehall. Does this mean organisers have not achieved the numbers mobilised last year? pic.twitter.com/q3MjgsJbE0
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) June 4, 2019
Updated
The anti-Trump protesters have been moving down Whitehall, Sky News reports.
At the Downing Street lobby briefing this morning a spokeswoman for the prime minister said the UK decision about whether or not to allow Huawei to play a role in constructing the UK’s 5G infrastructure (see 10.41am) would be based on a “hard-headed technically-informed assessment of the risk”. Talking about Theresa May’s meeting with President Trump, the spokeswoman said:
The PM will be setting out the UK position, we’re obviously reviewing the right policy approach at the moment.
The PM and others have been clear that any decision we take there will be supported by hard-headed technically-informed assessment of the risk.
We’re reviewing the right policy approach and when an announcement is ready we will update parliament.
Gove accepts invitation for meeting with Trump
A source close to Michael Gove has confirmed that the environment secretary has been asked to meet Donald Trump, as Sky was reporting earlier. (See 10.55am.) The source said:
Mr Gove was asked last night by Mr Trump’s team if he would be able to meet the president today. He said yes. Nothing has been fixed yet.
As the Press Association reports, the source indicated the meeting was likely to be on a one-to-one basis, which could prove embarrassing to Theresa May as her talks with the president are likely to involve senior ministers and officials rather than just the two leaders.
My colleague Dan Sabbagh has a list of some of the people lined up to speak at the anti-Trump demonstration.
Afternoon Trump protest line up. Brian Eno, Mark Rylance in the line up, closing speaker David Lammy. pic.twitter.com/vmT4Bhv8FB
— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) June 4, 2019
Activists promised to meet Donald Trump with a “carnival of resistance” in London on Tuesday as they began gathering in protest again his state visit.
Together Against Trump, an umbrella organisation formed of dozens of civil society groups, is hoping to bring hundreds of thousands of people on to the streets around Westminster.
On Tuesday morning, before the 11am gathering time, there were already hundreds in Trafalgar Square, where bundles of placards were leant against street furniture and journalists made pieces to camera.
At 11.30am protesters are due to march down Whitehall to the Women of world war two memorial – as far as they can make it since police have blocked the area outside Downing Street, apparently for security reasons – where a stage is erected for speakers including Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC, and Caroline Lucas of the Green party, among others.
They will then march around the Embankment, past New Scotland Yard into Parliament Square, where a second stage will feature music artists and more speakers including, it is expected, Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader.
Michael Hewitt, a retired clergyman from Bromley, was wandering past the fountains holding a piece of white A4 paper with the message, “Toxic Trump out”.
“I think his views are toxic, just toxic – how do you sum him up?” Hewitt said. Asked what his message to Trump would be, he said: “Get real, face reality of climate change and the interdependence of nations and stop being nationalistic. Patriotism is different from nationalism.”
"Dump Trump's trade deal"@GlobalJusticeUK activists dressed as chlorinated chickens drop a banner from the North end of Trafalgar Square #TrumpUKVisit #TrumpProtest pic.twitter.com/hodpp4JxIe
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) June 4, 2019
Updated
Cleverly withdraws from Tory leadership contest, saying MPs weren't 'comfortable' with plan to skip generation
Turning back to the Tory leadership contest for a moment, James Cleverly, the Brexit minister who was one of several unexpected contenders in the Conservative leadership contests (or no-hopers, if you want to be more cynical), has announced that he is withdrawing from the contest. As of this morning, he had just four MPs supporting him.
Explaining his decision in a statement on his website, he said:
Last week I announced that I intended to run for the leadership of the Conservative party and as prime minister.
I felt that we needed to deliver Brexit and then quickly move the conversation on to other important issues that face the country. I had hoped that the Conservative parliamentary party would support me to be the face and voice of that conversation.
To do this I asked them to make a leap of faith, skip a generation and vote for a relatively new MP. It is clear that despite much support, particularly from our party’s grassroots, MPs weren’t comfortable with such a move and it has become clear that it is highly unlikely that I would progress to be one of the final two candidates.
For this reason I have withdrawn from the process of selecting a new leader and will not be submitting nomination papers.
Interviewed on BBC News a moment ago, Cleverly refused to say who he would now be backing for leader.
Updated
And here is the scene in Trafalgar Square, where the anti-Trump protest is getting underway.
Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters
Trump arrives at Number 10 for talks with May
President Trump has arrived now at Downing Street.
Updated
Trump urges May to 'stick around' so UK and US can agree 'very, very substantial trade deal'
President Trump and Theresa May have been holding roundtable talks with business leaders at St James’s Palace.
According to the Press Association, Trump said the US was already the UK’s largest trading partner and that he believed there was scope for further expansion. He said:
I think we will have a very, very substantial trade deal. This is something you want to do and my folks want to do.
He even suggested that May should rethink her decision to resign. He told her:
Stick around. Let’s do this deal.
(Presumably that was intended as more of a joke than as a constructive suggestion.)
May said that there were “huge opportunities” for Britain and the US to work together in the future. She said:
It is a great partnership but I think a partnership we can take even further. Of course that is with a good bilateral trade deal.
I think there are huge opportunities for us to do more together in the future and challenges to work on as well.
Updated
A Chinese-made talking robot of Donald Trump sitting on a gold toilet has become the focal point of anti Trump protests in Trafalgar Square.
As the Guardian revealed last month, the 4.9-metre (16ft) object depicts Trump with his trousers down, tweeting on the toilet, while his long red tie dangles into the bowl. It emits recordings of some of Trump’s provocative sound bites including: “no collusion”, “a witch-hunt”, “you are fake news” and “I’m a very stable genius.”
Its creator, Don Lessem, a dinosaur expert from Philadelphia, travelled to London to mark the robot’s debut at the protests.
Standing beside his creation he claimed comedy was the best way to defeating Trump. “Humour is my weapon,” he said.
The robot also makes a farting sound. Lessem said: “The fart we couldn’t get from him so we had to use a generic fart.”
Lessem said he had no problem getting the robot built in Sichuan and then shipped from China to the UK. He said:
The factory manager was shocked that we could make fun of our president without repercussions but had no fear of consequences for them in doing so. Trump is not on the Chinese government’s list of favourites, and one of the first papers to pick up the Guardian’s story was the South China News. Since the government keeps particularly close tabs on publications, it’s a tacit indication that the robot is actually appreciated by Chinese authorities.
It was a debate as to how to categorise the robot for shipping purposes. I chose ‘toy’ over ‘art’.
Updated
A message to Trump from a protester.
Gove 'expected to meet Trump later', Sky reports
These are from Sky’s Tom Rayner.
🚨🚨 Exclusive: Tory leadership hopeful Michael Gove is expected to meet President Trump one-on-one later today, according to a government source. Gove’s team say they are yet to receive formal confirmation
— Tom Rayner (@RaynerSkyNews) June 4, 2019
I’m told the meeting was requested by President Trump’s team
— Tom Rayner (@RaynerSkyNews) June 4, 2019
Gove, the environment secretary and probably Boris Johnson’s leading rival in the contest to be the next Tory leader and prime minister, famously met Trump shortly after his election as president when he interviewed him for the Times. At the time Gove was a backbencher (Theresa May sacked him when she became prime minister in 2016) and writing for the Times, where he used to work full-time as an editor and columnist before becoming an MP. Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Times, is thought to have played a role in securing the interview, which was regarded as a journalistic scoop, even if Gove’s questioning was not noted for being over-critical. Here is an excerpt.
In any Tory leadership contest it is always worth knowing who the Murdoch candidate is. This year it’s probably Gove.
Updated
'Fair play' will be issue in Huawei 5G decision, says security minister
One of the biggest issues likely to come up in the talks between Donald Trump and Theresa May today is Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications firm, and whether the UK will allow it to play a role in building its 5G infrastructure.
The US says Huawei should be excluded because it is a security risk. It argues that the firm is effectively controlled by the Chinese government, which could use Huawei technology to spy on Western communications. It has warned that it might stop sharing intelligence with the UK if it allows Huawei a role in its 5G network.
The British government has not yet taken a final decision about what to do, but officials believe it is possible to allow Huawei a role in 5G without compromising security. This long blog, written in February by Ian Levy, technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre, helps to explain why.
As my colleagues Dan Sabbagh and Patrick Wintour report in their story on this today, there are also other reasons why Whitehall is sceptical of the US threat to turn off the supply of intelligence information if the UK offers contracts to Huawei. They write:
British civil servants stressed that the UK had a unique architecture in its telecoms network, and the country could not simply take a decision to try to exclude itself from the long-term growth in Chinese economic influence.
They added that the chief priorities were protection of the UK-US intelligence relationship as well as a diversification of choice among network technology providers and and an increase in telecoms standards.
Other former Whitehall insiders said the next prime minister would have leverage to resist the US warnings. The US is reliant on UK signals intelligence for the targeting of missions in Syria and Iraq. The belief of British officials is that the Trump administration argument against Huawei is essentially economic, part of a growing battle over trade between the world’s largest economy and China.
This morning Ben Wallace, the security minister, was on the Today programme discussing this issue. He said that, contrary to the impression given by a recent story in the Daily Telegraph, the government has not yet taken a final decision on this. (The Telegraph said the National Security Council had decided to allow Huawei a partial role in the 5G project, a leak that eventually led to Gavin Williamson being sacked as defence secretary, after May concluded he was responsible.)
But Wallace also said the issue of “fair play” would be an issue in the decision. He explained:
Alongside the technical questions is obviously the question of behaviour of a number of states.
We’re British – we believe in fair play – and I think if we want to allow people access to our markets we have to say there are rules ... Not using the espionage to steal our intellectual property.
How do we maintain a level playing field and fair play that allows foreign investment, foreign access to our markets, and vice versa, but people don’t exploit that goodwill to steal and cheat?
This sounded like Wallace was preparing an alternative justification for the UK taking a decision to exclude Huawei along the lines requested by the US. ”You won’t get the contract, not because our network would not be safe, but because of China’s record on stealing intellectual property generally,” (I paraphrase) – but it was hard to be sure.
Updated
The White House pool has released details of Trump’s gifts to the Queen and Prince Philip. The Queen got a silver and silk poppy brooch, in a White House jewellery box. Prince Phillip got a personalised Air Force One jacket and a first edition signed autobiography by James Doolittle, I Could Never Be So Lucky Again. Doolittle was an American general of the second world war.
The Queen gave Trump a first edition of Churchill’s Second World War (all six volumes, presumably, although the pool report does not say). He also got a three-piece Duofold pen set. And the Queen’s gift to Melania Trump was a specially-commissioned silver box with a handcrafted enamel lid.
Updated
Liam Fox has backed the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to be the next Conservative leader, in a further splintering of cabinet endorsements which has seen ministers back candidates in five different directions, my colleague Jessica Elgot reports.
In response, Hunt posted this on Twitter.
Privilege to work with @LiamFox in Cabinet for many of the last nine years and very honoured by his support. He is an outstanding trade secretary. Looking forward to working with him to get a better Brexit deal and make the most of new trading opportunities across the globe. pic.twitter.com/GGSicmj1wY
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) June 4, 2019
ConservativeHome has been keeping a daily tally of leadership endorsements by Tory MPs. According to their latest update (posted just before 8am this morning, but including Fox), Boris Johnson has been publicly backed by 42 Conservative MPs, which puts him ahead of Jeremy Hunt (on 32), Michael Gove (29), Dominic Raab (24), Sajid Javid (17), Matt Hancock (11), Kit Malthouse and Esther McVey (both on 6), Mark Harper and Rory Stewart (both on 5), James Cleverly (4) and Andrea Leadsom (3). Sam Gyimah, who declared at the weekend that he was standing on a platform backing a second referendum, does not seem to have any endorsements.
Meanwhile, in Parliament Square, protesters are inflating the Trump blimp (the balloon portraying Trump as a giant baby) that will be flying above London for two hours today.
You can watch a live video feed of it being prepared here.
President Trump has just arrived at Buckingham Palace by helicopter. From there he will travel by car to St James’s Palace, which is very near, for a meeting with business leaders.
Updated
We all like showing off our holiday photos and videos. President Trump is no exception, and he has just posted this on Twitter.
#USStateVisit🇺🇸🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/8eN2bvtLLU
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2019
The video only lasts one minute. That obviously did not leave the White House time to include footage of the “tremendous crowds”. (See 9.12am.)
Labour calls US president 'sexual predator' and 'racist'
Well, at least one person is happy about Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK. This is what the US president was saying last night after visiting Buckingham Palace for lunch with the Queen.
London part of trip is going really well. The Queen and the entire Royal family have been fantastic. The relationship with the United Kingdom is very strong. Tremendous crowds of well wishers and people that love our Country. Haven’t seen any protests yet, but I’m sure the....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2019
....Fake News will be working hard to find them. Great love all around. Also, big Trade Deal is possible once U.K. gets rid of the shackles. Already starting to talk!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2019
His reference to the “tremendous crowds” will surprise anyone who was in London or watching the news yesterday and the White House has not tweeted any pictures of these huge crowds of Trump fans – probably for the obvious reason that they they don’t exist. (Some of the time yesterday, even for relatively short journeys, Trump was being whisked across the capital by helicopter – like a senior politician visiting a war zone – and even when he was driven by car, the police kept the pavements clear out of fear that his convoy might get the milkshake treatment, or worse.) Still, why let the facts etc etc. You can tell from the pictures being tweeted by the White House why Trump, who is said to aspire to be treated like a monarch, was so grateful to get a warm reception from a real one.
President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS are guests of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace with The @RoyalFamily! pic.twitter.com/JS4ZCWP1xa
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 3, 2019
Today we get the political side of the state visit, with Trump going to Downing Street for talks with Theresa May and a press conference. Given that May will be out of office within a few weeks, it is hard to see the point, and Trump might have been better advised to spend his time talking to Boris Johnson, the clear favourite to succeed her. (It is still not clear whether or not Trump will meet Johnson during the downtime available in his schedule.) But even if the talks are stilted, the press conference is unlikely to be dull.
And, while Trump is meeting May, thousands of people are expected to be nearby in London protesting against him. They will include Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, who also chose to boycott last night’s state dinner. This morning Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, told the Today programme why Corbyn, who would be having to deal with Trump as prime minister if an early general election led to a Labour government, was taking this stance. She said:
A state visit is an honour and we don’t think this president deserves an honour. The truth is he has tried to close borders with Muslim-majority countries, he is caging small Mexican children, he has grabbed women and boasted about it. He is a sexual predator, he is a racist and it’s right to say that – we need to think about when is it our country got so scared?
Thornberry also explained why Corbyn refused to go to a state dinner for Trump while he attended one for the president of China, a country with a far, far worse human rights record than the US. She said:
When you have a close friend and they’re going wrong, you are more likely to be adamant with them and clearer with them than someone who has not been as close a friend and someone you are trying to build a relationship up with.
She said Trump needed to be stood up to “like the way you deal with a bully” because “if you bow down in front of them you just get kicked harder”.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9am: Andrea Leadsom, the former leader of the Commons and a Tory leadership candidate, holds a phone-in on LBC.
9.20am: President Trump is due to arrive at Buckingham Palace. He will then go to St James’s Palace for a meeting with business leaders.
9.30am: Penny Mordaunt, the defence secretary, speaks at the RUSI thinktank.
11am: Corbyn is among those speaking at the anti-Trump demonstration starting in Trafalgar Square. Anti-Trump protests are also taking place in other cities, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. Between 10am and 12pm the Trump blimp will be flying over Parliament Square.
11.20am: Trump is due to arrive at Downing Street for talks with Theresa May and other ministers. There will then be a working lunch.
1.45pm: Trump and May hold a press conference.
7pm: Tory leadership candidates Sajid Javid, Boris Johnson, Kit Malthouse and Andrea Leadsom are due to speak at a private hustings in the Commons organised by the One Nation group of Tory MPs.
Evening: Trump hosts a dinner for May and other British dignitaries at Winfield House, the US ambassador’s residence. The Prince of Wales will represent the Queen.
And at some point today the executive of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee will meet to discuss changing the rules to reduce the number of contenders in the Tory leadership contest.
As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web, although I will be focusing mostly on the Trump visit and the press conference. I plan to post a summary at the end of the day.
You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe round-up of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads.
If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow.
I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.
If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter.
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