All the Political U-Turns By Britain’s Leaders Since Donald Trump Won

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By Anna Rhodes | 7:05 am, November 11, 2016

Nobody in the British political establishment saw President Trump coming (with the exception of Philip Davies MP, who has his say here).

So many people felt free to condemn him without hesitation – and are now having to change their tune pretty sharpish.

Theresa May

In 2015, when she was Home Secretary, Theresa May flatly rebuked the now president-elect. In response to comments on British policing, she said: “Donald Trump does not understand the UK” and branded his comments on Muslims and pockets of “no go” areas in London “totally wrong”.

On election day, she congratulated him on his victory, and is headed to the Trump White House “as soon as possible”:

Boris Johnson

The blonde Brexiteer, then Mayor of London, called Trump “unfit” and accused him of “playing the game of the terrorists”. He even went as far as to say he “thinks Donald Trump is clearly out of his mind” when it comes to his approach to Muslims in the US.

Election day:

Boris, who like Trump was born in New York, has also started mocking anti-Trump protesters, and called for an end to the “collective whinge-o-rama” that has surfaced.

 

Jeremy Corbyn

During his campaign, Corbyn characterised Trump as divisive and made a backhanded offer to “help” him fix his views on “culture, diversity and history”.

Since his victory, Corbyn has pointedly avoided congratulating the GOP victor, but also tried to make hay for his own cause by framing it as a rejection of establishments like the one he wants to overturn:

Corbyn’s brother, on the other hand, is a huge fan:

George Osborne

Last winter George Osborne, still Chancellor, condemned Trump for talking “nonsense” on the campaign trail.

In a TV interview this May, he smugly called the election for Clinton, saying that he looked forward to working with the new president “whoever she may be”.

It proved doubly wrong, since both he and Hillary are now nowhere near power.

However, he doesn’t seem too upset his candidate lost – while walking through Manhattan yesterday he took the time to troll a bunch of anti-Trump protesters:

He followed that by urging Theresa May to cosy up with The Donald for a trade deal in an article for The Sun.

Nicola Sturgeon

Scotland’s First Minister, however, is not for turning. Despite Trump being half-Scottish, Nicola Sturgeon stripped him of his “Global Scot” business ambassador role halfway through his campaign.

She duly congratulated him on his election win – but used her official statement to say she was “disappointed” that he won and “admired” Hillary Clinton:

Nigel Farage

The UKIP leader has been on the Trump Train since the beginning, spoke up for him on British TV and appeared at a campaign rally.

 

He’s having a hell of a time now:

 

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