Trump thanks Britain for ‘steadfast partnership’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to US President Trump on Monday, discussing Brexit, trade and economic issues, a statement from Johnson’s office said.

“The prime minister spoke to President Trump today. They discussed global economic issues and trade, and the prime minister updated the president on Brexit,” said a spokeswoman from Johnson’s office.

Trump expressed appreciation for Britain’s “steadfast partnership” in tackling global challenges in a call with Johnson, a White House statement said on Monday.

“The President expressed his appreciation for the United Kingdom’s steadfast partnership in addressing global challenges and looks forward to meeting with him personally in the near future,” the statement said.

Rebel MPs are plotting to rewrite the Commons rulebook and rip up parliament’s standing orders in a bid to prevent Boris Johnson from forcing through a no-deal Brexit, The Independent has learnt.

It comes as No 10 pinpoints Monday 9 September as the critical day for a legislative battle with the cross-party campaign to block a no-deal departure. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott suggested Labour was gearing up to table a no-confidence motion in the PM. Green MP Caroline Lucas, meanwhile, was criticised for not including any people of colour in her proposed all-female “emergency cabinet”.

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is happy to join an all-women emergency cabinet, after Caroline Lucas proposed the idea.

The Brighton Pavilion MP proposed forming a cabinet of senior cross-party female MPs if Parliament passes a motion of no confidence in Boris Johnson’s Government to call for a referendum on whether to leave the EU.

“I’m happy to work with anybody - male or female, I have to say - to try to stop Brexit, in particular to try to avoid a no-deal Brexit, which I think would be really, really damaging,” the Scottish First Minister said, during an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women.

“I’m all for more women in politics, I think we can bring a different perspective.

“But I do feel duty-bound to point out the former prime minister was a woman and didn’t manage to sort out Brexit so there’s maybe a flaw in that somewhere.” Describing Lucas as “a fantastic MP”, the SNP leader added: “I’m more than happy to band together with a bunch of other women.” Lucas has also written to Labour’s Emily Thornberry and Yvette Cooper, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, the former Conservative Cabinet minister Justine Greening, Change UK MP Anna Soubry, independent MP Heidi Allen, the SNP’s Kirsty Blackman, the independent Northern Irish MP Sylvia Hermon and Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts.

Trump wants to see a successful British exit from the European Union that Washington will support with a US-UK free trade agreement, national security adviser John Bolton told British officials on Monday.

As Britain prepares to leave the European Union on Oct. 31, its biggest geopolitical shift since World War Two, many diplomats expect London to become increasingly reliant on the United States.

Bolton, in London for two days of talks with British officials, is seeking an improved US-British relationship with Prime Minister Boris Johnson after sometimes tense ties between Trump and Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May.

A central message Bolton was making is that the United States will help cushion Britain’s exit from the EU with a free trade deal that is being negotiated by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and his British counterpart, Liz Truss.

A senior Trump administration official, describing Bolton’s message to British officials, said the president “wants to see a successful British exit from the European Union” and that a trade deal would help Britain.

Trump had wanted to work with the May government on a trade deal but her government “didn’t want do it. This government does. We’re very happy about it,” the official told reporters travelling with Bolton.

Trump believes that “when it comes to trade negotiations the EU is worse than China, only smaller”, the official said.

Johnson spoke to Trump on Monday, discussing Brexit, trade and economic issues, his office said. “They discussed global economic issues and trade, and the prime minister updated the president on Brexit,” Downing Street said.

Agencies