Theresa May applauds Trump’s election as American ‘renewal’

British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives to deliver a speech on the government’s plans for Brexit at Lancaster House in London on January 17, 2017. “But nor can we afford to stand idly by when the threat is real and when it is in our own interests to intervene”, she told GOP leaders gathered at retreat in Philadelphia.

Speaking to reporters on a flight to Philadelphia, where she addressed Republican lawmakers on Thursday, she said she would have an opportunity to “talk to him face to face about the issues, about the interests that we share, about the special relationship, about the challenges that we both face”.

Both leaders have taken steps to reform their worldwide relations, particularly through trade.

After the European Union, where almost half of British exports go, the U.S.is the U.K.’s biggest overseas market.

The British prime minister is preparing to become the first foreign leader to meet the USA president on Friday (27 January).

“It is through our actions over many years, working together to defeat evil or to open up the world, that we have been able to fulfil the promise of those who first spoke of the special nature of the relationship between us”.

Like what? I asked.

“I’m sure that there will be discussion of trade”.

Asked by HuffPost UK if she stood by the global agreement to end Iran’s nuclear weapons programme – a deal questioned by Trump – she replied: “I think this was an important deal that was done”.

The British prime minister will also want to talk about energy and her commitment to the Paris agreement on reducing global warming. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is very important.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling led a chorus of figures who called on the Prime Minister to use her visit to express outrage to the President. We’ve both made the point before about contributions being made by countries. Theresa May will surely support the president in calling on Europe to spend 2% of GDP on its military. “It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain’s national interest that the European Union should succeed”, she believes. And we should not lose sight of the overwhelming importance of the market on our doorstep.

“And we should build the relationships, systems and processes that make cooperation more likely than conflict – and that, particularly after the illegal annexation of Crimea, give assurance to Russia’s neighbouring states that their security is not in question”. You were lauding free trade at Davos in Switzerland, the Chinese talk about free trade.

But while Trump has sometimes suggested unpicking the Iran nuclear deal, which Britain played a key role in negotiating, May said the answer was for it to be properly enforced: “The agreement must now be very carefully and rigorously policed – and any breaches should be dealt with firmly and immediately”. China is increasingly a USA rival, and now that the United Kingdom has chose to go it alone, there is no guarantee that the U.S. will take it seriously. They might cheer at the prospect of a one-page free-trade agreement with Australia, but what if that means undercutting British farmers? I believe globalisation is important. At a time when Britain’s future is gravely insecure, she may feel as though the chance to get in with the leader of the world’s most powerful country is worth it.

“I’m sure I’ll leave with a very clear picture”.

The shy PM said before stepping off the plane in Philadelphia this evening that she and the egotistical new U.S. president had strikingly different personalities.

A fifth of British exports of goods and services, some $124 billion in 2015, went to the U.S. Around half were services, including financial and business services, telecommunications and travel.