Donald Trump has ‘no greater friend’ than Britain, says David Lammy ahead of President-elect’s inauguration

DONALD Trump has “no greater friend” than Britain, the Foreign Secretary has said on the eve of the former President’s White House return.

David Lammy insisted that he was looking forward to strengthening the two nations’ “special relationship”.

He told The Sun on Sunday: “We warmly congratulate Donald Trump on his re-election as President and his inauguration tomorrow.

"The United States has no greater friend than the UK. Our enduring alliance brings security, prosperity and growth to many millions of Britons and Americans.

“Together, we will continue strong investment in each other’s economies and stand firm against adversaries including Russia and Iran.

“We look forward to working closely with President-elect Trump to further strengthen our special relationship.”

Meanwhile, officials in the US are braced for chaos as crowds descend on Washington DC for the inauguration, which will be attended by Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel.

Freezing temperatures as low as -11C have forced the ceremony inside the US Capitol’s rotunda.

And most of the 220,000 ticket holders who expected to see Mr Trump take the Oath of Office are set to be turned away.

Announcing the decision, Mr Trump said: “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.”

Security agencies have warned the inauguration is “an attractive potential target” for extremists.

Mr Trump was twice the target of failed assassination attempts during his election campaign.