LONDON — President Trump will delay his first state visit to the United Kingdom until 2018 because of concerns about protests reflecting his unpopularity with Britons, U.K. media reported Tuesday.

The visit had been expected this year, but a date was never set. Trump accepted an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II when Prime Minister Theresa May traveled to Washington in January.

Trump is disliked by many Britons, for reasons that include his travel restrictions targeting six majority-Muslim countries and his public attacks on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the Muslim to hold the office.

More than 2 million people have signed a petition calling on Parliament to block the visit.

Last month, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the state visit was still on following reports that Trump could scrap or postpone it due to concerns about mass protests. "We look forward to scheduling that trip," said Spicer.

Thousands of protesters rallied in London in February calling on May to withdraw the invitation for a state visit.

The Guardian and the BBC reported that May’s office and the White House were looking at dates in 2018.

Trump could still visit Britain this year but without the pomp and ceremony of an official state visit.

At the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, last week, Trump told May that he would be visiting Britain, and it was just a matter of arranging a date.

"I will be going to London," he said. Trump is traveling to Paris to mark Bastille Day on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron and could later visit his ancestral home of Scotland, where he owns a golf resort ensnared in a local development dispute.

"An invitation for a state visit has been extended and accepted, and the PM looks forward to welcoming President Trump to the U.K.,” May’s office said in a statement Tuesday. “We will set out a date for the visit in due course."

The U.K., which is exiting the European Union following a referendum last year, and the United States enjoy a long-standing “special relationship.”

"There's no country that could possibly be closer than our countries, for a long time," Trump said in Hamburg. "Prime Minister May and I have developed a very special relationship.”

He said that a U.S.-U.K. trade agreement will be "done very very quickly." </s> United States President Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom (UK) is likely to happen next year.

According to Sky News, Downing Street and White House are looking for possible options to arrange for Trump's state visit next year.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May, during her visit to the US in February, had announced Queen Elizabeth's invitation of a state visit to Trump.

However, shortly after the news, many people in the UK launched a petition titled 'Prevent Donald Trump from making State Visit to the United Kingdom' to protest against Trump's immigration ban.

The petition soon became popular and garnered over 1.8 million signatories, enough to be debated on in the UK Parliament.

It was reported that senior UK politicians, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, called for the visit to be cancelled.

There were protests organised countrywide against his visit too.

Trump, in June, had informed May that he would not travel to Britain until the protests against him come to an end in the country.

The White House, however, denied that the US President had any reservations about visiting the UK, and added that they were looking forward to working out a "mutually acceptable date."

There were also earlier reports that Trump may secretly drop in the UK during his Europe visit for the G20 Summit. </s> US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain is being planned for next year, a senior British government source said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Theresa May extended the invitation when she visited Washington just days after Trump’s inauguration in January, but a date has yet to be set.

The source said both sides had been unable to arrange a date for 2017 and were now looking for dates in 2018.

There has been speculation Trump was deferring the state visit, an occasion filled with pomp that involves a banquet with Queen Elizabeth II, amid concerns that it would draw protests over his presidency.

Questions about the trip also arose after it got no mention in the Queen’s annual speech to parliament in June, when it is customary for the monarch to list upcoming state visits.

But Trump confirmed he would be visiting Britain at the G20 in Hamburg, where he met with May, saying he “will be going to London”. Asked when, he replied: “We’ll work that out.”

May has been derided for seeking to curry favour with Trump and has come under fire for inviting him for a state visit so soon into his presidency.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the smaller Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party have all called for the state visit to be cancelled, as have some from May’s own Conservative Party.

The Speaker of the House of Commons previously said he was “strongly opposed” to allowing Donald Trump to address members of parliament during the US president’s state visit later this year.

More than 160 of parliament’s 650 MPs have signed a parliamentary motion opposing an address by Trump, citing the travel ban and his comments on torture and women.

A speech to both Houses of Commons and Lords has been a feature of many previous state visits, including one by Barack Obama in 2011.

More than 1.8 million people have also signed an online petition saying Trump should not make the state visit as it “could cause embarrassment” to the monarch. </s> The US President will travel to the UK on July 13 – with the long-awaited and controversial trip is expected to be a "working visit" rather than a full-blown state occasion. The UK's ambassador to the United States confirmed the visit, which will include face-to-face talks with Theresa May. Downing Street and the White House had hoped to co-ordinate releasing details of the trip, but Mr Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders apparently let slip the information first. UK ambassador Sir Kim Darroch confirmed the date on Twitter, saying he was "delighted" that Mr Trump would visit the UK. Protesters have already vowed they will be out in force to let the US President know what they think of him.

“When Donald Trump arrives on these shores, we and thousands of our supporters will very definitely be making our voices heard.” The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "The President of the United States will visit the UK on 13 July. "He will hold bilateral talks with the Prime Minister during his visit. Further details will be set out in due course." Mr Trump's visit is likely to attract major protests, and even his supporters have urged him to stay away from London in an effort to avoid mass demonstrations. In a letter to the US President, six conservative groups recommend he should instead focus his visit on his "ancestral home" of Scotland, including a meeting with the Queen at Balmoral.

Plans for a working visit to the UK in 2018 were announced when Mr Trump met Mrs May at Davos in January. The July 13 date follows the Nato summit which the president is due to attend in Brussels on the previous days. Interest in Mr Trump's plans has been fuelled by this week's high-profile state visit to the US of Emmanuel Macron, which some commentators have framed as a bid by the French president to make Paris Washington's first port of call in Europe following Brexit. Mr Trump cancelled a planned trip to London to open the new US embassy in Vauxhall earlier this year, complaining the move to an "off location" south of the Thames had been a "bad deal".

But it is thought his decision may have been driven by a fear of protests in the capital, with whose mayor Sadiq Khan he has clashed over his response to terrorism. The expectation of demonstrations is also believed to have played a part in the postponement of a state visit mooted for 2017. That trip - which would involve lavish ceremonies and a stay with the Queen at Buckingham Palace - has been put off indefinitely, though Number 10 insists the invitation stands. Mayor of London Khan tweeted: "If he comes to London, President Trump will experience an open and diverse city that has always chosen unity over division and hope over fear. "He will also no doubt see that Londoners hold their liberal values of freedom of speech very dear."

In response to the announcement, Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK's director, said: "When Donald Trump arrives on these shores, we and thousands of our supporters will very definitely be making our voices heard. "In the 15 months of his presidency, we've seen a deeply disturbing human rights roll-back - including the discriminatory travel ban, his reckless announcement on Jerusalem, and harmful policies on refugees, women's rights and climate change. "Since moving into the White House, Mr Trump has shown an impatience bordering on intolerance toward peaceful protests, the media and even the democratic process itself. So his visit to Britain will be an important opportunity to underline the importance of free speech and the right to protest." </s> U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom, initially planned for this year, will be delayed until next year, a senior U.S. administration official said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom, initially planned for this year, will be delayed until next year, a senior U.S. administration official said on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May had invited Trump to London when she visited the White House soon after Trump took office on Jan. 20.

But the two sides were never able to find dates that worked for both governments. Trump has been to Europe twice this year, is headed to Paris this week and his other scheduled trip abroad in 2017 is to Asia.

"It's just a scheduling issue," the official told Reuters. "Finding a date that works for everyone turned out to be difficult. We're looking at next year." </s> Donald Trump is expected to make a state visit to the UK in 2018. The government is believed to be working with the White House to agree on a date, BBC reported.

Trump had initially planned to visit the UK in June 2017, but concerns over security and mass protests forced organisers to reschedule. A possible visit in the autumn had also been mooted at one stage.

Trump had accepted an invitation from Theresa May to take part in a state visit when the prime minister visited the White House in January. However, it is thought that the controversy surrounding his visit forced Trump to reconsider.

A surprise visit around the time that Trump is in France for Bastille Day celebrations (14 July) had also been considered but has now been ruled out.

Mass protests at the G20 summit in Hamburg that also included specific references to Trump may have demonstrated to the US president the scale of contempt held by Europeans.

State visits are usually announced in the Queen's Speech and this year's failed to mention Trump, instead confirming the state visit of the Spanish royal family which takes place this week (12 - 14 July).

When a state visit eventually takes place, it would most likely involve a visit to Downing Street, Buckingham Palace and one of his Scottish golf resorts.

He clashed with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan over safety in the wake of the London terror attacks which lead to the mayor to call for the state visit to be cancelled.

Only two US presidents have been offered a state visit, George W Bush in 2003 and Barack Obama in 2011. </s> Theresa May and Donald Trump Matt Cardy / Getty

LONDON — Donald Trump's state visit to the UK has been delayed until at least 2018, a senior UK government source has confirmed.

Trump was originally scheduled for a state visit to Britain last month but it was delayed until the autumn following a series of large street protests. across the UK against his presidency.

Last night a senior UK government source told Business Insider that the two countries had been unable to agree a date for this year and were "now looking at dates next year" for a possible state visit.

They added that it was possible that Trump could jet in for a non-state visit at some point in the interim. Any visit at short notice would make it difficult for opponents to organise large-scale protests.

The potential visit gathered a wave of controversy earlier this year when the House of Commons Speaker John Bercow effectively banned the president from speaking in Parliament.

Bercow said he was not willing to allow Trump to address Parliament as his predecessors had, because of Britain's opposition to "racism and sexism."

"If a state visit takes place, that is way beyond and above the pay grade of the speaker," he said.

"However, as far as this place [the House of Commons] is concerned, I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House of Commons."

Trump reportedly told May that he was unwilling to visit the UK while the threat of further protests remained.

A Downing Street adviser told the Guardian that the President had told May that he "does not want to go ahead with a state visit to Britain until the British public supports him coming.

"The US president said he did not want to come if there were large-scale protests."

There was no mention of a state visit in May's Queen's Speech last month, which set out all the planned state visits for the next two years. </s> US President Donald Trump will visit the UK in July - on Friday the 13th.

The long-awaited and controversial trip is expected to be a "working visit" rather than a full-blown state occasion.

The UK's ambassador to the United States confirmed the visit, which will include face-to-face talks with Theresa May.

Downing Street and the White House had hoped to co-ordinate releasing details of the trip, but Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders apparently let slip the information first.

UK ambassador Sir Kim Darroch confirmed the date on Twitter, saying he was "delighted" that Trump would visit the UK.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "The President of the United States will visit the UK on 13 July.

"He will hold bilateral talks with the Prime Minister during his visit. Further details will be set out in due course."

Trump's visit is likely to attract major protests, and even his supporters have urged him to stay away from London in an effort to avoid mass demonstrations.

In a letter to the US President, six conservative groups recommend he should instead focus his visit on his "ancestral home" of Scotland, including a meeting with the Queen at Balmoral.

Plans for a working visit to the UK in 2018 were announced when Mr Trump met May at Davos in January.

The July 13 date follows the Nato summit which the president is due to attend in Brussels on the previous days.

Interest in Trump's plans has been fuelled by this week's high-profile state visit to the US of Emmanuel Macron, which some commentators have framed as a bid by the French president to make Paris Washington's first port of call in Europe following Brexit.

Trump cancelled a planned trip to London to open the new US embassy in Vauxhall earlier this year, complaining the move to an "off location" south of the Thames had been a "bad deal".

But it is thought his decision may have been driven by a fear of protests in the capital, with whose mayor Sadiq Khan he has clashed over his response to terrorism.

The expectation of demonstrations is also believed to have played a part in the postponement of a state visit mooted for 2017.

That trip - which would involve lavish ceremonies and a stay with the Queen at Buckingham Palace - has been put off indefinitely, though Number 10 insists the invitation stands.

The letter to Trump was signed by the heads of conservative thinktanks the Bow Group, Bruges Group, Parliament Street and the Freedom Association, as well as the chairman of Republicans Overseas Scotland and a contributor to ThinkScotland.

They told the president the political and media establishment in London was "far out of touch" with the feelings of ordinary people outside the capital, many of whom "strongly support" his leadership.

"Your ancestral homeland of Scotland represents a powerful bond between you and Britain, and given the nature of the climate in London, it is a superior destination," they said.

"As you know, the Royal Estate of Balmoral Castle sits in Scotland's Cairgorms National Park, thus allowing you to make a full state visit as the guest of the Her Majesty the Queen.

"Scotland and the North of England also offer a variety of locations where you would be able to speak directly to ordinary British people and witness the true level of support that exists for you and the special relationship between the US and the UK."

Ben Harris-Quinney, chairman of the Bow Group, said: "A visit to London by the president is likely to draw major protests, crime and disorder, and we do not wish to see Britain or President Trump embarrassed by this.

"It is important that the people of the United States and its government know there are many in Britain who strongly support the president and the special relationship, and wish for President Trump to be afforded the warmest of welcomes.

"Sadly that will not be the case in London."

Trump, whose mother was born on the Isle of Lewis, made frequent visits to Scotland before becoming president.

His last trip came during the presidential campaign in June 2016, when he visited his golf resorts. </s> LONDON (AP) — A state visit to Britain by President Donald Trump later this year will go ahead, the prime minister’s office said Monday, despite increasing calls for it to be canceled over his temporary ban on residents of seven majority-Muslim countries entering the U.S. Furor over the travel ban has tarnished what British officials had considered a highly successful trip to Washington by Prime Minister Theresa May. She met Trump at the White House on Friday and announced that he had been invited to come to Britain later this year as the guest of Queen Elizabeth II. May’s Downing St. office said Monday that “an invitation has been extended and accepted,” and the visit is still on. No date has been announced for the state visit, which involves lavish pomp and ceremony, generally with a stay at Buckingham Palace. The visit was hailed by government officials as a sign of the close trans-Atlantic relationship, which was also reflected in May’s invitation to meet Trump just a week after his inauguration. But criticism of May’s wooing of Trump erupted when – only hours after the prime minister had left the White House – the president signed an executive order suspending all travel to the U.S. of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Libya for 90 days. The order also bars all refugees entering the country for 120 days. Britain’s three biggest opposition parties have all called for Trump’s state visit to be canceled and an online petition opposing the trip has more than 1.3 million signatures. Protests against the travel ban are planned Monday in London and other British cities. Any petition with more than 100,000 signatures must be considered for a debate in Parliament, though not a binding vote. Last year, Parliament debated whether to ban Trump, then a presidential candidate, from visiting Britain after a similar online petition. Trump’s travel ban sparked protests at airports across the U.S., and drew condemnation and concern from around the world. There was widespread confusion about whether the ban applied to dual nationals. Somali-born British Olympic champion runner Mo Farah said he feared it would prevent him returning to the U.S., where he lives. Late Sunday, Britain’s Foreign Office said U.S. authorities had clarified that the ban didn’t apply to British citizens who are also nationals of one of the seven countries. Canada’s foreign minister said he had been told the same about Canadian dual nationals. However, the website of the U.S. Embassy in London on Monday advised nationals of the seven countries – “including dual nationals” – not to book visa appointments, saying their applications would not be processed. The advice was removed from the site after several hours. The U.S. Embassy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Jacob Parakilas, assistant head of the U.S. and the Americas program at the Chatham House think tank, said that “for the moment there doesn’t seem to be a single clear interpretation of the order, and it’s not entirely clear what the final result of the negotiations will be.” “So I think confusion is going to reign for some time,” he said. The apparent British exemption didn’t end the storm of opposition, with prominent members of May’s Conservative Party joining in calls for Trump’s visit to be scrapped. Sayeeda Warsi, a former government minister and Conservative member of the House of Lords, said that it was “sending out a wrong signal” to invite Trump, a leaders whose values “are not the same as British values.” Conservative lawmaker Sarah Wollaston said that Trump shouldn’t be invited to address both houses of Parliament, an honor given to many visiting foreign leaders. She said that “those who wish to fawn over him” should do so elsewhere. But former Conservative Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said Britain had welcomed other leaders on state visits despite human rights concerns, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. He told the BBC that Trump, “whatever we think of him … is well-disposed to the United Kingdom, and it would be pretty silly, from everybody’s point of view, simply to throw away that opportunity to develop that relationship.” Associated Press writer Lynne O’Donnell contributed to this story.
The Trump Administration announces this year's presidential state visit to the United Kingdom is delayed until at least 2018. Both the White House and 10 Downing Street state the two countries had been unable to agree on a 2017 date. This planned visit has drawn protests in the United Kingdom since February, and more than 1.8 million signatures on a petition to Parliament to cancel the meeting.