Trump Says to Visit U.K. on June 24

LONDON (Reuters) —
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump points at the media as he speaks during a campaign rally New York. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

Presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would visit Britain for the opening of his Scottish golf resort on June 24, his first trip to the U.K. since a spat with British Prime Minister David Cameron over comments he made about Muslims.

Relations between Trump, whose visit comes the day after Britain holds a referendum on its membership of the European Union, and Cameron have been tense since the British leader called his proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States dangerous and stupid.

Trump’s idea for a boycott of Muslims, mooted last December, also led to calls from some lawmakers for him to be banned from Britain, with almost 600,000 people signing an online petition for the property tycoon to be barred.

While Cameron and his ministers rejected that call, the prime minister did suggest that Trump would unite the nation against him if he visited Britain.

Trump responded by saying he was unlikely to have a good relationship with Cameron, although both men have since tempered their language after Trump effectively became the presumptive Republican Party nominee.

Cameron has said he would be happy to meet him, although no date had been fixed, and Trump said they could have a good relationship after all.

A spokesman for Cameron said there were still no firm plans for a meeting, although it was a long-standing practice for a prime minister to meet presidential nominees if they visited Britain.

However, Trump’s visit will coincide with the result of Britain’s EU referendum, and while Cameron is leading the campaign for Britain to stay in the bloc, Trump has said he thinks Britons would be better off outside.

In a statement, Trump likewise made no mention of any potential Cameron meeting, saying only that his visit to Britain was for the official opening of his golf resort at Turnberry following a $290 million refurbishment.

The golf course has also pitted him against British politicians after Scotland’s devolved government approved plans for an offshore wind farm nearby which led Trump to denounce Scottish ministers as “foolish, small minded and parochial.”

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