Britain to roll out red carpet, royal fanfare for Trump visit

United States President Donald Trump will arrive in Britain on Tuesday (Sep 16) for a three-day trip. 

An elaborate show of pomp and pageantry awaits the American leader during his historic second state visit, as the United Kingdom spares no effort to charm its most unpredictable transatlantic guest.

The last time Trump visited the storied Windsor Castle was for tea with the late Queen Elizabeth II, during his first term in office in 2019.

This time, he will be hosted to a state banquet by King Charles III at the almost 1,000-year-old castle west of London, and meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his country estate.

It is unusual for non-royals to receive the full ceremony of a second state visit, rendering Trump’s invitation a striking exception.

CHARM OFFENSIVE

Analysts said Starmer is hoping the display of royal flattery for the US president – Trump has long expressed a fascination with the royal family – will help keep UK-US ties on a friendly footing.

Britain became the first country to strike a reciprocal tariff agreement with the US in May, securing exemptions from new duties on exports to America. 

However, the details on how – or if – those concessions will be implemented for certain products like steel and aluminium have not yet materialised.

“There’re still a lot of question marks around the implementation of that deal,” said Jonathan Portes, an economics and public policy professor at King’s College London.

“So, for Starmer, the first priority will be sorting out how that deal is actually going to be brought into effect and how the UK industry is going to be protected, at least to some extent, from the worst impacts of Trump’s tariff policies.”

The British prime minister will also want to try to move Washington’s position closer to London’s on other international issues, including being tougher on Russia and providing more assistance to Gaza, said experts.

WHAT US WANTS FROM UK

Meanwhile, the US wants Britain to be an ally against China, said international politics professor Inderjeet Parmar.

“The US is probably going to ask Britain to become more aligned with the US in that regard to contain and isolate China more,” said the professor from City St George’s at the University of London.

“The problem is that Britain is also trying to get closer (ties) with the European Union, which has very large trading relations with China. Britain, post-Brexit, needs China more than the US does. And that’s going to cause a great deal of tension.”

Reports suggest Trump may bring along the bosses of some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including Apple, OpenAI and Nvidia.

The move would appeal to the UK’s growth priorities and geopolitical strategy, which bets on Britain becoming a leader in world-changing tech like artificial intelligence and nuclear fusion by partnering with the US.

In a speech earlier this month, then-British ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson said it was through such cooperation that Britain would help challenge China.

“US-China competition will define this century,” he said. “The Atlantic alliance must evolve to meet the greatest challenge of our age – and that is keeping ahead in the global technology race that will determine our fate in the 21st century.”

The American president’s visit comes at an awkward moment following Mandelson’s sacking last week over his long-term association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump himself has faced scrutiny over his friendship with Epstein.

PROTESTS EXPECTED

Trump’s last trip to the UK, a private golfing visit to Scotland in July, was met with protests. Demonstrations are again expected this time, not just from the public but also from some politicians.

Ed Davey, the leader of Britain’s third largest political party the Liberal Democrats, has said he will boycott the state banquet over Trump’s handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Perhaps to minimise controversy, there are no public engagements scheduled and Trump is expected to travel between locations by helicopter.

The UK government also managed to dodge a clash in parliament by inviting Trump when the House of Commons is in recess, avoiding any debate on whether the American leader should provide the traditional address to lawmakers.

Security has been ramped up around Windsor Castle and other key venues, with round-the-clock police operations and drones in the airspace.

Source: CNA 

- Agencies