Theresa May will visit Trump next week

Theresa May will become the first world leader to visit President Donald Trump in the White House amid revelations he refers to her as 'my Maggie'.

The Prime Minister, who was the tenth world leader to be phoned by Mr Trump after his election, was due to meet him in February but will now fly out next week.

The pair are expected to discuss a new deal for Britain as it prepares to exit the EU and Mr Trump hopes their co-operation will match the friendship between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.



Mr Trump will also invite Mrs May to unveil a statue of Sir Winston Churchill which he has returned to the Oval Office after Barack Obama removed it, reports the Sunday Express.

Mrs May is likely to use the early visit to press the case for a free trade deal with the US amid doubts that an agreement would be compatible with Mr Trump's 'America first' strategy.

The PM has said she is 'confident' of striking a deal and has suggested the UK and US could even reduce barriers to trade before being able to sign a formal agreement after Brexit.

One of the items said to be on the agenda is a possible 'passporting deal' which would allow British and American firms to set up and trade in each other's countries with minimum regulatory hurdles.

Mrs May is likely to emphasise the the importance of Nato and the EU for collective security and defence after Mr Trump sparked concerns about his commitment to both organisations.

The PM has also promised to hold 'very frank' discussions with Mr Trump, making clear she has found some of his comments 'unacceptable', including his suggestion that his fame allowed him to 'do anything' to women, such as 'grabbing them by the pussy'.



In his inauguration speech, President Trump, whose mother is Scottish, pledged to 'reinforce old alliances' in a sign that Britain's special relationship with the US could be boosted under the new regime.

But he also talked about the need for a new era of protection to end the decline of American industries.

Meanwhile, it has been speculated that Nigel Farage will become a member of Trump's team.

Phil Bryant, Governor of Mississippi, revealed at a party thrown by Farage that the former UKIP leader will be made a 'close but unofficial adviser' to the new President, reported the Telegraph.

Bryant said: 'There is an opportunity for him to work directly with the president, we call it 'close but unofficial'.'

On Friday Farage praised Donald Trump's inauguration speech and declared a new era for US-UK relations.



Trump's mention of 'old alliances' was interpreted as a reference to the 'special relationship' between the US and the UK, which critics claimed Barack Obama undermined during his eight years in office.

After Trump's speech, May said: 'I congratulate President Trump on taking office today.

'From our conversations to date, I know we are both committed to advancing the special relationship between our two countries and working together for the prosperity and security of people on both sides of the Atlantic.

'I look forward to discussing these issues and more when we meet in Washington.'