Quote:WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Evoking the closeness of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Donald Trump shared a “warm conversation” at lunch on Friday to cement their own “special relationship”, a source in May’s team said.

May’s visit to the United States, the first by a foreign leader since Trump was inaugurated as president, has been hailed by her aides as a resounding success, one, they say, that has strengthened her hand in divorce negotiations with the EU.

A statement from May’s office said Trump pledged to ensure that the trade arrangements that Britain currently has with the U.S. through its membership of the European Union will continue in place the moment it leaves the bloc.

It was not clear how Trump’s aides viewed the meeting on Friday when the two leaders held talks and then had a lunch of baby iceberg salad with blue cheese and braised beef shortribs, but the UK delegation saw the visit as a triumph.

“They talked a lot about Thatcher and Reagan, and both agreed it was one of the most successful political relationships ever,” the source in May’s team said. “Trump went on to say that he always looked up to Reagan and said that he wanted their relationship to be even better than that one.”

Ties between Britain and the United States struck a highly personal tone under Thatcher and Reagan in the 1980s, with the image of them dancing at a ball at the White House epitomising the trans-Atlantic “special relationship”

(01-30-2017 12:11 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  DJT isn't Reagan. He also had 55 percent vote against him

And May has never won a national election.

Both of them have large opposition groups and neither of them have much of a political mandate.

(01-30-2017 12:31 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  From reading around, a lot of Brits consider May to be very weak politically.

(01-30-2017 12:11 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  DJT isn't Reagan. He also had 55 percent vote against him

And May has never won a national election.

Both of them have large opposition groups and neither of them have much of a political mandate.

(01-30-2017 12:47 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:31 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  From reading around, a lot of Brits consider May to be very weak politically.

She's both stronger and weaker than many think.

Brexit has deeply divided the UK along regional lines. There may need to be a vote in Parliament over it.

I don't think DJT is popular, by any real measurement in the UK. DJT behaving like a bully will not go over well.

That being said, her strength is that no one else from the Tories wants her job and that the main opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, is widely unliked. Unless there is some sort of SNP/LibDem breakthrough, her government might actually make it to the next election.

(01-30-2017 12:51 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:47 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:31 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  From reading around, a lot of Brits consider May to be very weak politically.

She's both stronger and weaker than many think.

Brexit has deeply divided the UK along regional lines. There may need to be a vote in Parliament over it.

I don't think DJT is popular, by any real measurement in the UK. DJT behaving like a bully will not go over well.

That being said, her strength is that no one else from the Tories wants her job and that the main opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, is widely unliked. Unless there is some sort of SNP/LibDem breakthrough, her government might actually make it to the next election.

It's a mixed bag from talking to a few of them in terms of opinion of Trump. They seem to appreciate his ability to take a stand for what he believes in, but also believe he's a madman who will screw a bunch of things up.

Brexit was very much a regional vote though. England voted heavily for it, while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted heavily against it. There's a genuine concern that the UK will end up splitting over this, with all 4 nations going their own way.

(01-30-2017 12:55 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:51 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:47 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:31 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  From reading around, a lot of Brits consider May to be very weak politically.

She's both stronger and weaker than many think.

Brexit has deeply divided the UK along regional lines. There may need to be a vote in Parliament over it.

I don't think DJT is popular, by any real measurement in the UK. DJT behaving like a bully will not go over well.

That being said, her strength is that no one else from the Tories wants her job and that the main opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, is widely unliked. Unless there is some sort of SNP/LibDem breakthrough, her government might actually make it to the next election.

It's a mixed bag from talking to a few of them in terms of opinion of Trump. They seem to appreciate his ability to take a stand for what he believes in, but also believe he's a madman who will screw a bunch of things up.

Brexit was very much a regional vote though. England voted heavily for it, while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted heavily against it. There's a genuine concern that the UK will end up splitting over this, with all 4 nations going their own way.

The cleavage is London+Scotland+Northern Ireland vs England(less London) and Wales.

The problem is that the 48% that voted on Brexit are all against DJT, AND some of those who voted for it see him as a madman. And there are huge numbers who are VERY opposed to DJT.

(01-30-2017 12:48 AM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:11 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  DJT isn't Reagan. He also had 55 percent vote against him

And May has never won a national election.

Both of them have large opposition groups and neither of them have much of a political mandate.

I don't know much about May but Trump has majorities in both houses and will get to appoint at least two justices... I don't think he cares about a manadate.

(01-30-2017 01:02 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:48 AM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  

(01-30-2017 12:11 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  DJT isn't Reagan. He also had 55 percent vote against him

And May has never won a national election.

Both of them have large opposition groups and neither of them have much of a political mandate.

I don't know much about May but Trump has majorities in both houses and will get to appoint at least two justices... I don't think he cares about a manadate.

I know about the one, but who is the other justice thinking about retiring? I know a few of the more Liberal ones have already said they will not retire under Trump.

(01-30-2017 12:11 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  DJT isn't Reagan. He also had 55 percent vote against him

And May has never won a national election.

Both of them have large opposition groups and neither of them have much of a political mandate.