If Donald Trump really doesn’t want Jeremy Corbyn to become British prime minister, he should, as I said in the Sun Saturday morning, just ignore the Labour leader when he comes to London for the Nato summit this week.
The Labour leader would like nothing more than to get into a war of words with the US president. If he can turn this election into a question of whose side are you on – his or Donald Trump’s? – it’ll be that rare thing, a popularity contest that Corbyn can win.
Those close to Boris Johnson are hoping that Donald Trump keeps schtum next week: and doesn’t get involved in any dramatics. Another spat with the London mayor Sadiq Khan would be particularly ill-timed given the mayor’s role in responding to Friday’s terror attack.
Boris Johnson has gone as far as to publicly urge the US president to keep out of the election. But as one Tory wearily tells me, ‘He is totally beyond control’. I understand that Trump has already agreed to do one major British broadcast interview while he is here. The Tories will be hoping, against hope, that he doesn’t make news.
This article was originally published on The Spectator’s UK website.
