Boris Johnson refuses to attend the urgent EU foreign ministers’ meeting to discuss the impact of Donald Trump
Mr Johnson has already told EU leaders to get over the ‘general doom and gloom’ about Mr Trump’s election victory
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has snubbed an emergency EU foreign ministers’ meeting called to discuss Donald Trump’s shock US election victory.
A Foreign Office spokesman said that an “act of democracy” had taken place in the US and that there was no need for EU ministers to organise an extra meeting on top of the one already scheduled next week.
It comes after Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson branded vocal European concern about the US election result as a “whinge-o-rama”, while Ms May was criticised by Labour for failing to “temper” her congratulations to the President-elect.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “The Foreign Secretary will not attend the meeting convened for Sunday. There is a regular Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday where a range of issues can be discussed in the normal way.
“We do not see the need for an additional meeting on Sunday because the US election timetable is long established. An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain.”
The move highlights the widening gulf between London and the continent over how to respond to the US election, after a senior German politician warned Theresa May was “delusional” if she believed the incoming Republican administration would give the UK a good trade deal.
German Social Democrat Axel Schafer told The Times: “What changed is the likelihood of a speedy and preferential trade deal between the UK and the US.
“Even before Tuesday the chances were rather low, now the hope for this kind of deal seems delusional.”
Speaking in Belgrade this week Mr Johnson called for a sense of proportion from EU leaders in their reaction to Trump’s success.
He said: “I would respectfully say to my beloved European friends and colleagues that it’s time that we snapped out of the general doom and gloom about the result of this election and collective whinge-o-rama that seems to be going on in some places.
“He is, after all, a deal maker. He wants to do a free trade deal with the UK.
“I believe that this is a great opportunity for us in the UK to build on that relationship with America that is of fundamental economic importance for us, but also of great importance for stability and prosperity in the world.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today claimed that Ms May and Mr Trump were pursuing the same divisive agenda towards immigrants, and took a swipe at the Prime Minister for failing to be more critical of the President-elect.
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