London: President Donald Trump today
cancelled a "working visit" to the UK planned for next month
to officially launch a new US embassy, blaming a "bad deal"
struck by the previous Obama-administration to relocate the
base from central London to an "off location".
The US president launched his attack on Twitter against
the embassy's move from Grosvenor Square in the posh Mayfair
area of the city to Nine Elms, south of the Thames, in a USD
1.2 billion project.
He wrote: "Reason I cancelled my trip to London is that I
am not a big fan of the Obama administration having sold
perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for
'peanuts', only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2
billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!".
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will now step in for
the launch of the new embassy site, which will open to staff
on January 16.
The short visit by Trump in February was not the full
State Visit proposed by British Prime Minister Theresa May on
the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II, for which no date has
yet been set.
Downing Street said no date has been confirmed for any
visit by Trump and that the opening of the US embassy "is a
matter for the US".
The "strong and deep" partnership between Britain and the
US "will endure" despite Trump's cancellation, a spokesman was
quoted as saying by the BBC.
However, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan - who has clashed
with the president in the past - said the US president had
"got the message" that many Londoners were staunchly opposed
to his policies and actions.
Sections of the UK media claim that the visit was
cancelled amid fears of mass protests as the embassy's plan to
move from Mayfair to Nine Elms in London pre-dated the Barack
Obama administration and was first reported in October 2008,
when George W Bush was still the president.
Citing security and environmental reasons, the US State
Department had agreed to sell the current embassy building in
Grosvenor Square to the Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Co,
which intends to turn it into a luxury hotel.
On the embassy web page about the project, it said: "The
project has been funded entirely by the proceeds of the sale
of other US Government properties in London, not through
appropriated funds".
Trump had also been scheduled to hold talks with prime
minister May in No 10 Downing Street, with February 26 and 27
marked in the diary for the visit.
Downing Street had hoped to announce the dates this week.
The working visit cancellation follows a strain in UK-US
relations, with May criticising Trump's decision to retweet
material posted by the far-right extremist group, Britain
First, last November.
Trump had responded by tweeting directly to the British
PM that she should focus on tackling domestic terrorism.
PTI
