Trump's UK visit

Are the British famous for their diplomacy? What about Lord Palmerston? It's easy to appear diplomatic when you have the upper hand and the other group can't say no for fear of reprisals.

What special relationship with the USA do we have? The idea seems to trace back to WWI but they didn't support us in WW1 or WW2 until it was in their interest. They don't trade with us as a charitable act. If it wasn't in their interest (economically and/or politically) then they would take their business elsewhere. They want us as a forward base for their missiles. If we they press the UK button then we will be retaliated against first giving them more time to negotiate. The relationship will only be special as long as we are useful to the USA.

SwitzerlandDavos January 23–26, 2018President Trump is scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum. jura2
Is there anything planned there in the way of protests?

Spot on Jalima it would be ridiculous if he wasn’t invited here.
We can do ‘diplomacy’ with the best of them.

Should diplomacy and expediency be of paramount importance?

sorry the above is so long

jura2 .....do you have a lemon? Put a large slice in your gin!??

I, too, feel sorry for the Queen and hope that Mrs May feels just the tiniest bit apologetic for her rush to sook up.
Well, she may have rushed there but other world leaders have invited the POTUS to their countries before he has set foot here, state visit or not.

Saudi ArabiaPresident Trump met with King Salman and Muslim leaders at the Riyadh Summit
IsraelPresident Trump met with President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[2] He was the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall and Church of the Holy Sepulchre.[
President Trump met with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.[8]
Italy RomePresident Trump met with President Sergio Mattarella at Quirinal Palace and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni at Villa Taverna
Vatican City Vatican CityVatican CityPresident Trump met with Pope Francis at Apostolic Palace
Belgium President Trump met with King Philippe of Belgium, Prime Minister Charles Michel and attended the 28th NATO summit.
He also met with newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron
He also held a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.
Poland the Polish President Andrzej Duda and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.
Germany G20 Summit, Hamburg: He also held bilateral meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto,
Indonesian President Joko Widodo,
Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Chinese President Xi Jinping,
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and
British Prime Minister Theresa May.
FranceParisJuly 13–14President Trump and the First Lady arrived in Orly Airport on July 13. The same day Trump visited the US Embassy to attend a ceremony honoring American World War II veterans, toured Les Invalides with French President Emmanuel Macron, engaged in a bilateral meeting with Macron at Élysée Palace and held press conference with the French President afterwards.
JapanTokyoNovember 5–7President Trump arrived in Tokyo to meet with Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Emperor Akihito.
South KoreaSeoulNovember 7–8State visit. President Trump arrived in Seoul to meet with President Moon Jae-in, and addressed the National Assembly.
ChinaBeijingNovember 8–10State visit.President Trump arrived in Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
VietnamĐà Nẵng,
Hà NộiNovember 10–12President Trump attended the APEC Vietnam 2017 in Đà Nẵng. He visited Hà Nội for a state visit.
Philippines He met with President Rodrigo Duterte in Pasay

Other visits and meetings with Heads of State are planned for 2018; Switzerland, Peru, Canada, Belgium, Argentina, France, PNG, Singapore. However there are calls that he would receive violent protests and domestic threats in the United Kingdom if he visits here.

Dislike him or not - should we overcome those feelings in the interests of diplomacy, as so many other countries have done and will do?
Are we being rather precious or 'cutting off our noses to spite our faces' in fact?

The sheer racism of the comments would be shocking coming from any other president. The heartbreaking, and terrifying, thing is that it’s not the least bit surprising coming from Donald Trump.

This is a man who launched his political career by pushing a conspiracy theory that the first black president was not actually born in America. This is a candidate who rocketed to the top of the GOP primary polls by calling Mexicans rapists. This is a president who has repeatedly attempted to act on his campaign pledge to ban Muslims from entering the United States, who has said that Haitian immigrants “all have AIDS” and that Nigerians live in “huts.”

It’s not just that Trump has consistently and unambiguously expressed beliefs like this — though he has. It’s that his willingness to say these things, out loud, is the core of his political appeal to his vaunted base. Trump won the GOP primary and the presidency not in spite of his xenophobia and racism, but because of them.

www.vox.com/2018/1/11/16880804/trump-shithole-countries-racism

I am waiting with bated breath to hear of the 'improvements' Trump has made...

What about diplomacy which Britain is famous for. We have no right to comment on what the US voted for, it was their choice. How would we like it if JC got in and someone else protested on the streets in another country. Unfortunately, most of the anti JC people would be too polite to do it. Its mob rule.

oh my lemon ...

Sarahellen ?

Are you saying Trump is misunderstood, misunderstood??

Not everyone is so against President Trump as the voting proved. There is something seriously wrong when the ordinary people of this country can not see further than the lies told in the media. All I have seen so far is the improvements he as made in his Country but of course some people being as they are wouldn’t give credit for anything good he as done or may do in the future.

Donald Trump reportedly asked why the US is "having all these people from shithole countries come here?" during an immigration meeting Thursday.

Some within the White House reportedly believe the comment will resonate with Trump's supporters.

uk.businessinsider.com/white-house-expects-trumps-shithole-remark-will-resonate-with-base-2018-1?r=US&IR=T

We should extend a welcome to the POSITION he holds as head of his country.
That is true of course, it is the position not the holder at any one given time.

George Bush administration planned the embassy move in 2008.
I was going to post that because I thought I heard it on the lunch-time news Cherrytree (but then again, I could have misheard).

At least he won't want to come to the wedding either now - not that I think he would have had an invitation.

The 'special relationship' is probably just a myth but as long as the idea is perpetuated by some on both sides of the Atlantic, the less chance we have of being put on Trump's list of undesirables which is a scary thought.

There were plenty of protests about the Saudi visit and the Chinese head of state, not widely reported though, although were quite big in the London local news, perhaps you should blame the media.

Just think of all the money it will save on not having to protect him while he is here.

easybeeAgree.
I did not realise how many had such uninteresting lives that what would appear to be a highlight of these lives, zimmer frames at the ready, was to demonstrate in the street/s at an alleged visit of an American president.
Never mind folk always the next time and hopefully Mr Trump will oblige by making sure he arrives during summer as some now appear to be much relieved not
having to go out in such cold weather.
Such dedication!!!!!

I agree with OldMeg...missed opportunity and all that!

Our voting system first past the post almost never reflects the popular vote. There was a time when Labour polled I million votes more then the Tories but still lost the election. In any constituency the winner nearly always has less votes that all of the other parties put together.

the majority of us in the US did not vote for DT and and in fact detest him. sadly, there is a small group of bigoted, unhappy individuals who support him and will so no matter what he does. I rather like the idea of not taking to the streets, of having minimal or no reaction to him. that would anger him but there would be nothing he could distort.

Just thought I'd throw my hat into the ring. Where were the protests when the head of Saudi Arabia visited. Human rights are non existent. And what they do to their people can be quite horrific. China's head of state visited and where were the protests. It may be a capitalist country but human rights don't exist. Ditto Russia. DT was voted in by the American people and as such should be shown the respect that country is due.

Apparently the reason for the move was the need for more space because of modern security requirements

The Obama Administration didn't make the decision to sell the embassy, though the deal was finished when Obama was in office. The move to leave the old embassy began in 2008, under George W Bush, as can be seen from the fact that the embassy itself posted a news release at the time.