Trump UK visit - LIVE: Mass protests expected as President arrives at US ambassador's residence in central London
Donald Trump has arrived in the UK to meet with Theresa May and the Queen on a three-day “working visit”. Air Force One touched down at Stansted Airport shortly before 2pm on Thursday.
The US president will largely avoid London during his time in the country as mass protests are expected against his “zero-tolerance” approach to immigration and divisive rhetoric.
Half of Britons agree with Donald Trump's visit to the UK, but a large proportion don't think he should visit the Queen, according to a YouGov poll.
In total, 50 per cent of people surveyed think the working visit should continue, compared to just 37 per cent who think it should be cancelled. The remaining 13 per cent say they don’t know.
While support in this new poll is down 5 per cent from a May poll where YouGov asked about a working visit, it is still significantly higher than previous surveys that asked about a state rather than a working visit.
Just 35 per think the Queen should meet the US premier, as opposed to 49 per cent who believe she should not. The president is set to have tea with the monarch on Friday.
Overall, the British public hold the president in low regard. Only 17 per cent have a favourable view of Trump, compared to 77 per cent who have an unfavourable view of him.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable has said he hopes the UK Government is "a lot more robust" with Donald Trump during his visit.
"Frankly its given the impression so far of being sycophantic, of just cuddling up to him, and he clearly shows no respect for that whatever," he told the BBC.
"We should treat him in the same way we would treat a visit from President Putin. A working visit — of course we need to talk to these people but he's not a friend of this country and we should cease to regard him as one."
A police chief has apologised after it was revealed officers securing Donald Trump's visit to the UK were being forced to sleep in conditions described as an “absolute disgrace”.
Hundreds of officers were to stay in cramped lines of camp beds filling a vast gymnasium and sleeping mats on the floor of squash courts between long shifts policing the US president's trip.
Essex Police's Assistant Chief Constable Pippa Mills apologised for the conditions the force imposed on officers staying in the county, having come from across the UK to join the operation, which is expected to cost up to £10m
“The conditions which I have been made aware of are not acceptable,” she said.
“Working with our military partners we have found alternative accommodation. This will address the concerns highlighted.”
The apology comes after the The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, highlighted the conditions its members were facing.
A giant inflatable “Trump baby” will not be allowed to fly over the US president's Turnberry golf course when he visits over the weekend, Police Scotland have said.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said the move had been ruled out due to airspace restrictions in the area, but discussions were taking place about where the balloon can be flown instead.
Campaigners plan to transport the 20ft high caricature blimp north of the border after flying it over central London as Donald Trump begins his visit to the UK.
They had hoped to fly it over the South Ayrshire golf resort on Saturday to coincide with the president's visit there.
PA
Activists inflate a giant balloon depicting US President Donald Trump as an orange baby (AFP)
Amnesty International have greeted the US president by unfurling a brightly-coloured banner on Vauxhall Bridge in London calling his presidency a "human rights nightmare".
The “Bring The Noise” march and rally, organised by the Women’s March London coalition, is today protesting what organisers called " the inhumane, divisive, misogynistic and discriminatory policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration".
Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK’s director, said: “In only 18 months, Mr Trump has presided over a nightmarish human rights roll-back - from locking up child migrants and withdrawing from global human rights bodies, to imposing a discriminatory travel ban and decimating global funding for women.”
Amnesty said the banner would be visible to officials working at the US Embassy.
Donald Trump has arrived at US ambassador Woody Johnson's residence in Regent's Park in central London. He is scheduled to spend several hours here before travelling to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
Donald Trump's son Eric has spoken about his father's love for the UK as he begins his first trip to the country as US president. Mr Trump Jnr said the UK is a “big part” of his father's life.
The 34-year-old arrived in Scotland on a golfing trip on Thursday morning, with his father flying into the UK later in the day ahead of a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Queen.
The president is expected to head to Scotland on Friday night and spend the weekend at his Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire. Mr Trump Jnr flew into Aberdeen Airport on a Trump plane.
Asked about the president's view on US-UK relations, he said: “He has worked here for so many years, he knows so many people. His mother - my grandmother - is from Scotland. We just love this country, we love the UK in general and it's a big part of our lives. It's a big part of his life, pre-politics, and that can only be a positive.”
Mr Trump Snr was controversially granted permission to build a golf course at Balmedie by the Scottish Government, despite protests from environmental campaigners concerned about the impact the development would have on a site of special scientific interest.
His son described the area as “one of the most magical places in the world, one of the most beautiful places in the world”.
Donald and Melania Trump have descended Air Force One, where they were met by a welcoming party, and boarded a helicopter that will take them to Regent's Park in central London.
They greeted Jennifer Tolhurst, a representative for the Queen, Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, and Liam Fox the chief operating officer at Stanstead airport.
Melania and Donald Trump emerge from Air Force One (AP)
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Will this offhand comment add an extra frisson to protests against Donald Trump's impending arrival in the UK?
The US president interrupted a Croatian journalist to congratulate him on his national team's victory over England in last night's World Cup semi-final.
He also dredged up a now-classic Trump administration phrase in a jokey reply to the reporter's question.
Here is our full story on Donald Trump's final press conference at Nato. He said he had secured commitments from other member countries to increase their defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP.
French president Emmanuel Macron has since disputed reports his American counterpart had threatened to leave the alliance if the target was not met, and also denied any countries had agreed to boost spending beyond 2 per cent.
Alliance members agreed in 2014 that they would all meet the 2 per cent target by 2024. The lack of spending by some allies has been a complaint of the US' for years.
The Metropolitan Police has just announced that conditions will be imposed on a procession welcoming Donald Trump scheduled to take place in London on Saturday — but not on protests against the US President's visit to the UK.
The force said the measures were necessary "due to concerns of serious public disorder and disruption to the community".
The protest group Welcome Trump said it will hold a procession from the US Embassy to Whitehall, where it will join a march supporting jailed far-right leader Tommy Robinson.
Participants in these marches are only allowed to assemble between noon and 6.30pm in Parliament Square within a police barrier, or risk prosecution.
"A recent event involving the ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ group on 9 June resulted in serious violence in central London, with bottles, metal barriers and other objects thrown at police officers. Five officers suffered injuries and there were nine arrests," a statement released by the Met said.
"A significant policing operation will be in place for the duration of both events on 14 July, which is designed to prevent trouble from flaring up and facilitate peaceful protest, whilst ensuring Londoners are not unduly impacted.
"Dedicated teams of highly flexible officers will be on standby at key locations in the capital. Police liaison officers will be present to assist with engagement for peaceful protest."
Chief Superintendent Elaine Van-Orden said: “We police hundreds of public events and demonstrations in Central London every year and we always facilitate peaceful protest. We have such serious concerns about this event on Saturday 14 July, that we have made the decision to impose conditions under the Public Order Act.
"We have a duty to ensure that the community can go about their daily business not unduly impacted by demonstrations taking place.
"Our message is simple: if you wish to protest peacefully, that is your right and we want to work with you. If you commit criminal acts or breach the conditions of the event, you are liable to be arrested.”
The conditions will also apply to demonstrators opposing the Free Tommy Robinson march, but not to the Stand Up to Racism march in Old Palace Yard, set to commence at 1pm in Parliament Street.
Police securing Donald Trump's visit to the UK are being forced to sleep in unacceptable conditions worse than cells, an organisation representing officers has said.
Photographs show cramped lines of camp beds filling a gymnasium and sleeping mats on the floor of a squash court set up for officers to rest on between long shifts policing the US President's trip.
The Police Federation has complained of the conditions its members are facing during the operation, which will see officers from across the country enlisted at a cost of up to £10m.
Simon Kempton, the organisation's deputy treasurer in England and Wales, said 300 officers are expected to sleep in the gymnasium with no hot water and restricted access to warm food.
“These officers have been asked to leave their families to travel to another part of the country to help protect the public and the president and all they expect in return is to be treated with some dignity and respect,” he said.
“What's clear is that anyone overnight who has been arrested by the police would be put in accommodation far superior to what the officers are staying in.”
He said officers at that site are only averaging three to four hours' sleep ahead of 15-hour shifts because of the conditions.
