UK-EU rift widens as Boris Johnson snubs Trump meeting
- 7 years ago
Boris Johnson will not attend a special EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Sunday to discuss Donald Trump’s shock US election victory.
It follows his comments on Friday when Britain’s foreign secretary called on EU leaders to stop their collective ‘whinge-o-rama’ over the result.
The Foreign Office said Johnson would attend a regular EU meeting on Monday, but believed that Sunday’s additional meeting was not necessary because the US election timetable was long established.
“An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain,” a spokesman said.
As has happened with his stance on other matters such as Turkey, in government Boris Johnson has also very much changed his tune on Donald Trump.
As mayor of London, last December he called Trump “unfit” to be president and “stupefyingly ignorant” over his comments on Muslims.
“I would invite him to come and see the whole of London and take him round the city, except that I wouldn’t want to expose London to any unnecessary risk to meeting Donald Trump,” Johnson said amid a storm of criticism to the presidential contender’s call to ban Muslims from entering America.
Last December, Boris Johnson said, “The only reason I wouldn’t go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.”— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) November 12, 2016
Eleven months later, and Johnson’s altogether more diplomatic language after the election could not be in starker contrast.
Congratulations to Donald Trump and much looking forward to working with his administration on global stability and prosperity— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 9, 2016
Boris Johnson Dec 2015: Donald Trump is clearly out of his mind
Boris Johnson Nov 2016: Much looking forward to working with Donald Trump— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) November 9, 2016
The foreign secretary’s reaction also underlines the UK government’s pragmatic stance in the wake of the US election.
Both British and German leaders underlined values of democracy and freedom that their countries shared with the US.
Where Angela Merkel and others in Europe have also talked human rights, Theresa May has stressed shared values of enterprise.
During the US presidential election campaign, British politicians were as shocked as others on the continent at Donald Trump’s violent campaign rhetoric, insults, peddling of lies and conspiracy theories, as well as the revelations of his mistreatment of women and allegations of sexual assault.
But American voters had other priorities – and deep-rooted anger over the economy, jobs, the political establishment, globalisation, immigration and other issues saw the billionaire tycoon elected.
Amid the new reality and no doubt with more than half an eye on the post-Brexit era, Britain is very much talking up its much-cited “special relationship” with the United States.
It follows his comments on Friday when Britain’s foreign secretary called on EU leaders to stop their collective ‘whinge-o-rama’ over the result.
The Foreign Office said Johnson would attend a regular EU meeting on Monday, but believed that Sunday’s additional meeting was not necessary because the US election timetable was long established.
“An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain,” a spokesman said.
As has happened with his stance on other matters such as Turkey, in government Boris Johnson has also very much changed his tune on Donald Trump.
As mayor of London, last December he called Trump “unfit” to be president and “stupefyingly ignorant” over his comments on Muslims.
“I would invite him to come and see the whole of London and take him round the city, except that I wouldn’t want to expose London to any unnecessary risk to meeting Donald Trump,” Johnson said amid a storm of criticism to the presidential contender’s call to ban Muslims from entering America.
Last December, Boris Johnson said, “The only reason I wouldn’t go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.”— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) November 12, 2016
Eleven months later, and Johnson’s altogether more diplomatic language after the election could not be in starker contrast.
Congratulations to Donald Trump and much looking forward to working with his administration on global stability and prosperity— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 9, 2016
Boris Johnson Dec 2015: Donald Trump is clearly out of his mind
Boris Johnson Nov 2016: Much looking forward to working with Donald Trump— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) November 9, 2016
The foreign secretary’s reaction also underlines the UK government’s pragmatic stance in the wake of the US election.
Both British and German leaders underlined values of democracy and freedom that their countries shared with the US.
Where Angela Merkel and others in Europe have also talked human rights, Theresa May has stressed shared values of enterprise.
During the US presidential election campaign, British politicians were as shocked as others on the continent at Donald Trump’s violent campaign rhetoric, insults, peddling of lies and conspiracy theories, as well as the revelations of his mistreatment of women and allegations of sexual assault.
But American voters had other priorities – and deep-rooted anger over the economy, jobs, the political establishment, globalisation, immigration and other issues saw the billionaire tycoon elected.
Amid the new reality and no doubt with more than half an eye on the post-Brexit era, Britain is very much talking up its much-cited “special relationship” with the United States.