BREAKING: Donald Trump promises "EVEN CLOSER" relationship with UK ahead of May meeting

DONALD Trump has promised to bring the USA and the UK "even closer" ahead of his meeting with Theresa May this Friday.

The new president's press secretary Sean Spicer said this evening the administration was looking forward to the PM's visit this week - the first by any foreign leader.

He said: "We're announcing Theresa May coming this Friday, we're excited to have the Prime Minister here.

"I think we've always had that special relationship with Britain and that reflects in the Prime Minister's first visit.

Mrs May has already said she hopes to host Mr Trump in Downing Street in 2017.

She said: “I look forward to welcoming president Trump some time this year if that is possible. Read the full story >>

U.K. Free to Discuss, Not Negotiate Free Trade Deals, EU Orders

The U.K. is allowed to discuss trade agreements with other countries as long as it doesn’t formally negotiate with them before it leaves the European Union, a spokesman for the bloc said.

“There’s nothing in the treaties that prohibits you from discussing trade,” European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters in Brussels on Monday. But he reiterated previous remarks that EU countries can’t hold official talks on future deals while still a member.

More on this story at https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-01-23/u-k-free-to-discuss-not-negotiate-free-trade-deals-eu-says

Bloomberg :: via The Brexit News App

Britain's PM to will meet President Trump this week

Officials have confirmed that Theresa May will be one of the first foreign leaders to meet President Donald Trump at the White House. The British Prime Minister will hold talks with the 45th President this week, flying to Washington DC for a "couple of days".

Post-Brexit trade negotiations are likely to be high on the agenda of any talks between the two leaders. Mrs May is likely to use the early visit to press the case for a UK / US free trade deal.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mrs May said she was “confident” of striking a trade deal with America days after Mr Trump publicly declared he would hope to strike a quick agreement.

This comes after Theresa May congratulated Donald Trump on taking office as US president - and says she looks forward to meeting him. The prime minister stressed her belief he was committed to advancing the "special relationship" with the UK.

The right way to do Brexit: positive – but tough

Theresa May’s speech is an excellent start to the battles and negotiations ahead

The Spectator

From the start of the European Union referendum campaign, competing visions of Brexit have been advocated. To Nigel Farage, the case for leaving the European Union was all about what we did not like (the diktats, the immigration, etc). This played into the caricature cleverly presented by the Remain campaign: the shaking fist of Little England, a country that had had enough of foreigners and the tolerance that the European project represented. Then came the vision put to Britain by the Vote Leave campaign, articulated by Michael Gove and Boris Johnson. It was of a globally minded Britain, fed up with the EU’s parochialism. A country itching to go out and into the world.