Angela Rayner has revealed she is ready to “respectfully challenge” Donald Trump as he jets down in Scotland today [Thursday].
The deputy prime minister said she respects the democratic mandate of elected leaders but wouldn’t shy away from standing her ground.
It comes after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the US president would meet Sir Keir on his visit between 25 to 29 July.
President Trump is also scheduled to meet First Minister John Swinney.
The US president will return to the UK in September for an official state visit, where he will meet the King at Windsor Castle.
The upcoming visit will mark the president’s first trip to Scotland since 2023, when he broke ground on a new 18-hole golf course dedicated to his Isle of Lewis-born mother Mary at his resort in Menie, Aberdeenshire – according to the BBC.
In an interview with the Guardian last week, Rayner also urged Labour MPs to “step up” and promote the party’s achievements over the past year. “Our whole movement is message carriers. And if we’re not going to talk about these huge achievements, then who is?” she asked.
“Politics can make a real difference to people’s lives, but it takes time to change, to bring about that fundamental change that people are so desperate to see. That’s what this Labour government is doing,” she said.
“It’s not short-termism on the back of a fag packet, on some billboard. It’s actually the fundamental reforms that will get Britain back on track … instead of people feeling at the moment like everything is broken and nothing can be fixed.”
Rayner stood by the decision to remove the Labour whip from four “persistent” rebel MPs, despite No 10 signalling a desire to mend relations with backbenchers following a significant U-turn on welfare cuts.
“I think it’s justified. If you’re constantly organising against your Labour government then that’s a whipping issue for the chief whip, and that’s as old as time,” she said.
However, she recognised the need for the government to create space for MPs to “air concerns”.