Theresa May’s cautious response to Donald Trump’s ban means she’s better placed to secure a US trade deal
Memories are long in international diplomacy and a few careless words are capable of changing the course of history
Quiet diplomacy
IN the era of Trump and Brexit, the world is suddenly awash with experts on international diplomacy.
Remainers tell us with total certainty what we can and cannot expect from negotiations with Brussels.
And angry keyboard warriors demand the Prime Minister lectures foreign countries over their democratically-elected leaders.
The US President’s immigration ban is probably unworkable and indeed no American has been killed on home soil by a Muslim from one of the seven banned countries.
But many US and European citizens still live in fear of terrorist attacks and their concerns shouldn’t simply be ignored.
Stronger vetting rather than a blanket ban could have reassured Americans and avoided hitting law-abiding Muslims like Britain’s Olympic Gold medal-winning hero Sir Mo Farah.
Noisy virtue-signallers might prefer that Theresa May had condemned Trump’s ban at the first opportunity, but would it have helped our interests in the long run?
If the PM’s cautious response means she’s better placed to secure America’s support for Nato — which has done more than anything to preserve peace in Europe over the past 70 years — or conclude a trade deal that will deliver real financial gains to millions of Brits, we can’t blame her.
Memories are long in international diplomacy and a few careless words are capable of changing the course of history.
Theresa May’s visit to Washington DC has established a special relationship with the new President that we’re confident will be to the long-term benefit of both nations.
In the meantime, Britain can best serve people of all faiths and nationalities by exerting its influence on the White House to promote greater understanding and acceptance.
It won’t win Mrs May many friends on social media, but it would be the actions of a true world power.
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