Trump UK visit: President has state banquet with Queen as Labour announces Corbyn will speak at protest
US leader an ‘egregious example of growing far-right threat’, says Sadiq Khan after Twitter spat
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Protesters have denounced Donald Trump as “frightening and dangerous” and claimed his state visit is “an invitation for his ideology to be imported” to the UK, during a dramatic first day of the US president's second state visit to the country.
During a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II greeted the president, and reminded those in attendance of the "close and longstanding friendship" between their two countries — and appeared to rebuke Mr Trump's so-called America-first ideology that has threatened once close alliances and shaken the international community.
"I am so glad that we have another opportunity to demonstrate the immense importance that both our countries attach to our relationship," the Queen said.
The itinerary for Mr Trump going forward includes meetings with business leaders, a tour of historic British buildings, and trips to Portsmouth and Normandy — with the latter coming on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
The Queen, during her remarks, used that historic moment in the Second World War to reinforce the importance of the US-UK relationship.
Every outfit Melania Trump has worn for the UK state visit
Show all 15"On that day — and on many occasions since — the armed forces of both our countries fought side-by-side to defend our cherished values of liberty and democracy," she said.
"As we face the new challenges of the 21st Century, the anniversary of D-Day reminds us of all that our counties have achieved together," she continued, addressing the kinds of international coooperation in the post war years that Mr Trump appears to have disregarded as president. "After the shared sacrifices of the Second World War, Britain and the United States worked with other allies to build an assembly of international institutions to ensure that the horrors of conflict would never be repeated."
But, nearby in London, protesters denounced the president who had lashed out at mayor Sadiq Khaan as his trip loomed.
“It’s one thing to tolerate it, it is something else to promote it,” 46-year-old Hada Moreno told The Independent outside Buckingham Palace of Mr Trump's ideological stance.
But the US president’s backers were also present, calling him “a hero”. One said: “After Brexit we will need him for trade as well as security.” It came after Mr Trump lashed out at London’s mayor on Twitter, branding him “terrible” and a “stone-cold loser”.
Mr Trump and his wife Melania dined with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The pair were met by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, and will also take a tour of Westminster Abbey. Observers were curious as to how the Prince of Wales, a keen environmentalist, would get along with the fossil fuel-loving president.
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Mr Trump's first tweet of the day is a retweet.
He reposted a supportive message from congressman Steve Scalise about exports.
Here are the helicopters waiting to ferry Mr Trump into London.
Police officers watch from the roof of a building at Stansted airport in Essex ahead of Mr Trump's arrival (Joe Giddens/PA)
A teenager has mowed an anti-Trump message, complete with a giant penis, into the grass of his family home ahead of the US president’s UK state visit, writes Zamira Rahim.
Ollie Nancarrow spent his weekend mowing the words “Oi Trump” into his lawn, near Hatfield Heath, in Essex.
The 18-year-old also used the mower to etch a giant polar bear, penis and the words “climate change is real” into the grass, according to the Bishop’s Stortford Independent.
Ahead of Mr Trump's visit, Jeremy Hunt has insisted that the UK "takes careful notice" of his administration's position on Huawei.
The White House, which has sanctioned Huawei and tried to block it buying US goods, has told allies not to use its 5G technology and equipment over fears it would let China spy on sensitive communications and data.
"We take careful notice of everything the US says on these issues," Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "We will certainly listen carefully to what they say."
"We haven't made our final decision but we have also made it clear that we are considering both the technical issues – how you make sure there isn't a backdoor so that a third country could use 5G to spy on us – but also the strategic issues so that you make sure that you are not technologically over-dependent on a third country for absolutely vital technology," he added.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Once they have been ferried to Winfield House, the ambassador's residence, by helicopter, Mr Trump and the first lady will have two hours and 20 minutes to spruce themselves up before departing to meet the Queen, a White House schedule showed.
Environmental groups are gearing up for regional protests against Mr Trump ahead of tomorrow's planned demonstration in central London.
Protesters against Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK next week have vowed to bring central London to a standstill, in what could become one of the biggest demonstrations in British history, writes Jane Dalton.
Tens of thousands of people from around the country are preparing for a mass rally, with coaches laid on to ferry people from at least 15 cities including Oxford, Belfast and Edinburgh on Tuesday morning.
Before that, protesters will gather outside Buckingham Palace on Monday evening to express their anger at the US president’s banquet with the Queen.
Donald Trump has insulted London mayor Sadiq Khan moments before setting off for Britain, writes Tom Embury-Dennis.
Asked on Sunday evening if he would be willing to meet Mr Khan during his state visit, Mr Trump said: "No, I don't think much of him. I think that he's a – he's the twin of [New York City mayor Bill] de Blasio, except shorter."
It came after Mr Khan described the US president over the weekend as "just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat" and compared the language he had used to that of the "fascists of the 20th century".
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