(AFP) – The UK was rolling out the red carpet on Tuesday for US President Donald Trump, who was due to arrive on a historic second state visit, with security tight as protestors geared up to make their voices heard. As wars still rage in Ukraine and the Middle East, and major economies grapple with US tariffs, Britain is hoping to woo the mercurial Trump, treating him to a huge show of pomp and pageantry.
But controversies over sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and free-speech culture wars could make for some awkward moments when Trump sits down with Britain’s embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump was due to arrive Tuesday evening and then head to the historic Windsor Castle on Wednesday, for a full day of lavish events. The 79-year-old Republican has long been fascinated with the royal family and will be honoured with a carriage procession with King Charles III, as well as a grand state banquet at Windsor.
The setting means he will be far away from crowds and protesters, with his schedule designed to avoid London where a large anti-Trump demonstration has been called on Wednesday. Labour leader Starmer is not a natural bedfellow for right-wing firebrand Trump, but has worked to win him over since his return to the White House in January. The visit is “a huge moment for both” men, said Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think-tank.
“For Trump, the state visit is an opportunity to revel in the pomp and ceremony he loves,” she told AFP. “For Starmer, the visit is a chance to distract from domestic discontent and shift the limelight onto international issues where he has had greater success.”
Security is being ramped up. Thames Valley Police said it has deployed its marine unit around Windsor as “part of a wide range of security measures in place, many of which will be visible to the public and others which will not.” Downing Street has stated that Trump’s visit would see the “unbreakable friendship” between the countries “reach new heights.”
The two nations are set to sign a raft of agreements worth £10 billion ($13.6 billion), including one to speed up new nuclear projects as well as what British officials called “a world-leading tech partnership.” Ahead of the trip, Google announced it would invest £5 billion in the UK over the next two years, while US finance firms including PayPal and Citi Group unveiled plans to invest £1.25 billion.
Trump, whose mother was Scottish, will become the first US president to receive a second state visit, following his previous one in 2019 when he met Queen Elizabeth II. After Windsor’s pomp, politics will dominate on Thursday when Starmer hosts Trump at his country retreat, Chequers, seeking to capitalize on Britain being one of the first nations to secure a US trade deal.
Ukraine will also be a key topic. Starmer is among a host of European leaders who have pushed Trump to continue backing Kyiv, despite signs of him leaning toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on Tuesday that Trump will likely meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky next week and still hopes to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
First Lady Melania Trump, who is making a rare public appearance, has a separate itinerary on Thursday. She is scheduled to take part in an event with Queen Camilla, who is recovering from a bout of acute sinusitis that forced her to withdraw from attending the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on Tuesday.
Despite the pomp, tensions could linger in the background. The White House has stated that Trump would discuss “how important it is for the prime minister to protect free speech in the UK” — a topic raised by Trump’s former ally Elon Musk in a speech to a far-right rally in Britain over the weekend. Starmer’s spokesman on Monday described Musk’s language as “dangerous and inflammatory.”
Starmer desperately needs the visit to go well following a challenging few days in which some of his own Labour party members have openly questioned whether he can remain as leader. He has faced scrutiny over his judgment in appointing the now-sacked Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, despite Mandelson’s known friendship with Epstein. Rubio, on a visit to Israel, said Mandelson’s sacking “won’t change the nature of the visit.” “It’s a big honour, and they’re an important ally and partner,” Rubio stated.
Trump is facing his own scrutiny regarding links to the convicted sex offender. Activists on Monday unveiled a large portrait of Trump and Epstein displayed on a patch of grass outside Windsor Castle.
– Peter Hutchison with Danny Kemp in Washington
© 2024 AFP
