Donald Trump pledges much closer relationship with Britain after scrapping landmark Trans Pacific Partnership agreement
The British Prime Minister is visiting the US at the end of the week for first face to face meeting as the billionaire axes Trans-Pacific Partnership
DONALD Trump has pledged to build an even closer relationship with the UK as Theresa May plans to fly to the US for her first face to face visit with the new US President.
The billionaire made the announcement as he ripped up the landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership deal with other countries, which could bode well for new trade links with Britain.
The Prime Minister is set to arrive in Washington DC at the end of the week, the first visit by any world leader since Trump's inauguration on Friday.
Press secretary Sean Spicer revealed the US saw its relationship with the UK as "special" and said when asked if there was a significance she was the first visit: "I think we've always had that special relationship with Britain and that reflects in the Prime Minister's first visit here.
"He's had a great conversation with her and he looks forward to having her here, but we can always be closer."
May is hoping the meeting on Friday with Trump could lead to lifting existing tariffs and securing an ambitious trade deal between the US and UK.
On Monday the billionaire scraped The Trans-Pacific Partnership, known as TPP, which was negotiated by former president Barack Obama.
The deal was part of a plan to boost economic relations with 11 countries, including Canada, Malaysia, Japan, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, as well as lower tariffs.
However Trump signed an order which pulled the US out of the plan.
Spicer said: "When you enter into these multinational agreements, you're basically putting every other country on par with the United States."
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Meanwhile Trump has also indicated a similar trade deal which was in place with the EU is also off the table.
And chiefs in Brussels are said to be very frustrated with the president's different attitude towards the EU and the UK.
In a bid to slow down any negotiation, Theresa May has been warned if she enters into any deals with the US before Brexit, Britain could be breaching EU trade laws.
But Downing Street has confirmed she will start to discuss a US-US agreement during her meeting.
It is thought the plan will include allowing workers to be able to move freely between both countries so trade can be boosted.
Government sources have suggested this could give the Prime Minister necessary leverage in leaving the EU.
May said on Sunday: "We'll have an opportunity to talk about our possible future trading relationship, but also some of the world's challenges that we will face. I will be talking to Donald Trump about the issues that we share – about how we can build on the special relationship."
She added: "It's the special relationship that also enables us to say when we do find things unacceptable.'
Spicer described May as the UK's "head of state" at a briefing yesterday and said there wouldn't be a press conference when the two leaders meet later this week.
