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PM Boris Johnson uneasy over Donald Trump shadow on UK poll
Trump called in during a radio programme with Brexit party leader Nigel Farage and went on to comment on Johnson, his Brexit agreement, a possible tie-up between the Conservative and Brexit parties, and to ridicule Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Known for his proximity to US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had an uneasy first day of election campaigning when his Brexit agreement was dismissed by Trump as so ‘bad’ that it would prevent a trade deal between the US and the UK.
Trump called in during a radio programme with Brexit party leader Nigel Farage and went on to comment on Johnson, his Brexit agreement, a possible tie-up between the Conservative and Brexit parties, and to ridicule Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Labour picked on Trump’s comment that Corbyn as prime minister would be ‘bad’, saying that the president allegedly spoke for the rich, while the party is focussed on the many, not the few. Downing Street had to publicly reject Trump’s remarks on Johnson’s agreement.
Trump said the US “can’t make a trade deal with the UK” under the terms of Johnson’s agreement, but a Downing Street spokesperson said it “ensures that we take back control of our laws, trade, borders and money.”
On Corbyn, Trump said: “(He is) so bad for your country…He’d be so bad, he’d take you in such a bad way. He’d take you into such bad places”, inviting the charge from Labour that the US president is interfering in UK election.
As campaigning picked up cross the UK for the unpredictable December 12 election, Farage suggested an alliance with the Conservative party, which has so far rejected entering into an alliance with any party.
The Brexit party wants a clean break from the EU, without any agreement, while Johnson secured a revised agreement with Brussels and has promised to deliver Brexit on the basis of that agreement if elected to power.
Labour has promised another referendum within six months, if elected, while the Liberal Democrats party and the Scottish National Party – both with significant strengths after Conservative and Labour – want to cancel Brexit altogether.
