Theresa May has made her first rebuke of Donald Trump, following his retweet of far-right group Britain First’s propaganda video.
Speaking on a trip to Jordan, the Prime Minister said: “The fact that we work together, does not mean that we’re afraid to say when we think the United States have got it wrong.
“I am very clear that retweeting Britain First was the wrong thing to do. Britain First is a hateful organisation. It seeks to spread division and mistrust in our communities. It stands in fundamental opposition to the values that we share as a nation – values of respect, tolerance and, dare I say it, common decency.”
In light of Trump’s behaviour, an emergency debate in parliament led to questions over Trump’s state visit to the UK in 2018.
Speaking on BBC Question Time, justice minister Sam Gyimah said: “I am deeply uncomfortable because he is deliberately divisive, and this would be divisive at a time when we are trying to unite our country,”
Trump retweeted three videos from Jayda Fransen, leader of Britain First. Following the tweets, the British Ambassador in the US made a formal complaint to The White House and on Wednesday tweeted: “British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which seek to divide communities & erode decency, tolerance & respect.”
Home Secretary Amber Rudd also rebuked Trump’s tweets, but told critics it was important to remember the “bigger picture” – the UK and US’s close relationship.
“The importance of the relationship between our countries and the unparalleled sharing of intelligence between our countries is vital,” she said. “It has undoubtedly saved British lives. That is the big picture here, and I would urge people to remember that.”
The Prime Minister has previously been criticized for her relationship with Trump, given his volatile behaviour. There have been doubts over her decision to invite him for a state visit.