Labour has snubbed Trump’s transition team (Image: Getty)
Not a single minister or civil servant has met with ’s transition team ahead of his inauguration next week, it has been revealed.
In news that raises eyebrows about this Labour Government’s foreign policy priorities, the news was confirmed by a minister at the same time Rachel Reeves was in China rubbing shoulders with senior members of the communist regime.
Last week, foreign office minister Douglas Alexander confirmed in a written Commons answer that the Government has failed to make any in-person preparations for ’s second term in office.
Responding to a question from Tory MP Dame Harriett Baldwin, who asked what ministers or officials have had meetings with President-Elect Trump, Mr Alexander confirmed that the only interactions have been two phone calls by .
He said: “The Prime Minister had a warm introductory call with President-Elect Trump on 6 November.”
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No one from the Government has met with Mr Trump’s transition team (Image: Getty)
“During this call, the Prime Minister offered his congratulations and said he looked forward to working closely with President-elect Trump across all areas of the special relationship.
“The Prime Minister spoke to the President-elect again on 18 December. Neither the Secretary of State, Ministers, nor officials in the Department have had meetings with President-Elect Trump’s transition team.”
The failure by the Government to hold any meetings with the President-Elects team may go some way to explaining why Sir has been snubbed by not receiving an invitation to next Monday’s inauguration.
President Trump has invited a number of world leaders, including Italian premier Georgia Meloni, Argentinian President Javier Milei, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and Hungarian President Viktor Orban.
is also set to attend, however Sir Keir is notably missing from the list of invitees.
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Sir Keir will not be attending the inauguration next week (Image: Getty)
He is among other traditional opponents of President Trump not be invited, including , Kim Jong Un and the EU President Ursula von der Leyen.
In a furious tweet yesterday, claimed Sir Keir had been missed off the invitation list due to sending “operatives to America to undermine the !”
A reference to Labour Party activists visiting the States to campaign for ahead of Mr Trump’s thumping victory.
Responding to the news that neither ministers nor officials have had any meetings with Trump’s team ahead of his return to the White House, shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith described it as “utterly negligent”.
The top Tory blasted: “On her return from China, the Chancellor said growing the economy means engaging pragmatically with international partners and always putting the UK’s national interest first.”
“The US is the largest economy on the planet, the UK’s biggest single trading partner and the largest inward investor in the UK yet the government has admitted that since the US Election in “November last year, not a single minister or official in the Department for Trade has met with the Trump Transition team.
“After Labour’s terrible budget the UK economy needs all the help it can get.
“It is utterly negligent for Labour to be kowtowing to China whilst ignoring the greatest trading opportunity this country has.”