DAVID Cameron is in for an uncomfortable meeting this summer when US presidential hopeful Donald Trump visits the UK.
The Prime Minister has refused to apologise to the tycoon after branding him “stupid” over his policy to ban Muslims from entering the US.
But Downing Street has confirmed that Mr Cameron will meet Mr Trump when the presumptive Republican nominee for the White House comes to Britain in July.
Matters appeared to have become even worse this week after Mr Trump, nicknamed The Donald, said he and the Prime Minister were “not going to have a very good relationship” as a result of Mr Cameron’s tone about his policy “suggestion” on Muslims.
The billionaire businessman said Mr Cameron was “not willing to address the problem” between the two.
However, Downing Street has insisted a meeting is on.
A spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has made his views very clear: he disagrees with [Trump’s views].
“He continues to believe preventing Muslims from entering the US is divisive, stupid and wrong.
“We have made it clear that the Prime Minister will continue to meet the nominees of the two main parties in the Presidential election.
He continues to believe preventing Muslims from entering the US is divisive, stupid and wrong
“Obviously, the nominees have not been confirmed yet, but when they have, he will meet them.”
Chancellor George Osborne, who has backed Mr Trump’s likely Democrat rival Hillary Clinton, also insisted that the Government was happy to speak to Mr Trump, but would not withdraw the assessment of his plan to stop all Muslims coming to the US.
He said: “Of course we stand by what we said when he made it clear he didn’t want to have Muslims coming into the US. But he’s an American presidential candidate and we will talk to him because it’s in our interests to talk to our allies.”
Mr Trump could also be in line for a showdown with new Muslim Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who took offence at the billionaire’s offer to make an “exception” and let him enter the US.
Mr Trump has called the Labour politician “rude and nasty” and challenged him to an IQ test after Mr Khan branded him “ignorant”.
But the Mayor has since tried to appease the Republican hopeful by inviting him to his house for dinner.
Mr Khan said: “I genuinely think that Donald Trump and his advisers’ views on Islam are ignorant because the vast, vast, vast majority of Muslims are law-abiding and peaceful [and] unequivocally condemn these acts of terror committed by a small number of people using the name of Islam to justify their nihilistic actions.
“My point to Donald Trump is this: because I am so confident that it is possible to be a mainstream Muslim, and for that to be compatible with Western, liberal values, come to London and see for yourselves that you can have Londoners who are perfectly happy being both Western and Muslim.
“My invitation to him was come and meet me, my family, my friends, Londoners, who will show hopefully that his views on Islam are ignorant.”