Donald Trump has cancelled a planned visit to London next month to open the new US embassy, amid fears of mass protests. The president claimed on Twitter that the cancellation was due to his displeasure at the sale of the current embassy by Barack Obama's administration, calling it a 'bad deal'.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Trump had 'got the message' that many Londoners opposed his policies, and that a visit would have been met by mass peaceful protests. Khan criticised Prime Minister Theresa May for rushing to invite Trump for a state visit.
The White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the invitation had been accepted but no date had been set. Government sources suggested Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would open the embassy instead.
British relations with Trump hit a low last year when May criticised his retweeting of far-right extremist videos. Trump responded by telling May to focus on domestic terrorism. The government was so concerned that Britain's ambassador to Washington raised the issue directly with the White House.
