BORIS Johnson’s opponents are gearing up to capitalise on Donald Trump presence in the UK this week.
The US President is due to touch down in Air Force One late tonight for a Nato Summit on Wednesday.
He is expected to attend receptions at Buckingham Palace and Downing Street tomorrow, hold bilateral meetings and give media interviews.
The Nato leaders meeting, chair by General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, takes place at the luxury Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire the following day.
Both Mr Johnson and the President are due to hold press conferences.
Labour is hoping pictures of the two together will reinforce their claim that Mr Johnson would let more private firms into the NHS as part of a post-Brexit UK-US trade deal, as well as allow US “chlorinated chicken” into the UK food chain.
In a sign of Tory jitters, Mr Johnson last week said he didn’t want a repeat of Mr Trump’s past endorsement of him at the “Britain Trump”.
The SNP warned Scotland’s food standards were at risk from a “backroom Johnson-Trump trade deal”, citing initial trade talk memos released by Labour last week..
The papers, from the Department for International Trade’s UK-US trade and investment working group, revealed Geographical indications (GIs) - quality marks that protect regional produce from imitations - were on the table in talks.
The party said GIs were “a long-standing subject of disagreement between the US and the EU”, and US officials had six “potential objectives” on watering down standards.
It warned of “a disaster” for Scottish produce, including whisky, Arbroath Smokies, farmed salmon and Stornoway Black Pudding.
SNP international trade spokesperson and Dundee East candidate Stewart Hosie said: “At this election, only a vote for the SNP is a vote to lock Boris Johnson out of Downing Street, escape Brexit, protect our NHS and valuable food and drinks sector, and put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.
“Despite all the rhetoric, the reality behind closed doors is that the Tories are teeing up a sell-out of Scotland’s world-class food and drink produce in exchange for a dodgy Johnson-Trump trade deal cooked up in the backroom.
“With Trump set to arrive in the UK, behind the scenes US officials are willing to help wage a spin campaign to sell a race to the bottom in food safety and lobby the UK to step back on protecting Geographical Indications – measures in place to prevent bogus imitations. That would put at risk some of our famous produce such as Whisky, Arbroath Smokies, Scottish farmed salmon and Stornoway Black Pudding. Scottish produce must not be on the menu for any Johnson-Trump trade deal.
“The SNP will work to maintain current and future EU standards and regulations in key areas to prevent a sell-out of our sectors. While also setting out that the Scottish Government should be closely involved in all stages of developing UK trade policy, to ensure that the interests of Scotland are strengthened.”
Asked what his relationship would be like with Mr Trump if he was PM, Jeremy Corbyn said he would meet his administration as well as members of the House and Senate.
He added: “I have made criticisms of President Trump, indeed he has been good enough to make some of me - but that’s OK.”
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