Firefighters urge Starmer to cancel UK visit from 'toxic, authoritarian billionaire' Trump
The firefighters’ union has slammed Donald Trump’s upcoming UK visit as a “cruel joke” and is urging Sir Keir Starmer to call it off immediately.
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The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said firefighters are being drafted in to provide support at Chequers during the controversial visit at a time when the service has been “stretched to breaking point” by cuts and wildfires.
According to the FBU, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has contacted staff offering overtime to cover the high-security event, raising concerns that overstretched resources will be diverted from essential services.
The US President is making his state visit from September 17-19.
General Secretary Steve Wright condemned the visit, calling Trump a "toxic, authoritarian billionaire who has waged a war on workers and the living standards of ordinary Americans, and enacted a brutal, racist anti-migrant policy at odds with basic humanitarian values."
He added: “Rolling out the red carpet for him with an unprecedented second state visit was always a shocking move for a Labour Government. Now we learn that fire cover may be compromised to accommodate it. This could hamper response times and public safety.
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“Keir Starmer must cancel this state visit.”
Chris Wycherley, FBU executive council member for the Southern region, also raised concerns about stretching the fire services' limited resources for a "far-right" leader.
He said: “Fifteen years of cuts mean the fire service is on its knees, and Buckinghamshire has spent all summer suffering a lack of resources.
“We have had wildfires, hot temperatures and low rainfall. Those conditions could well still be in place throughout September.
“We have now found that the service has been asked to deploy fire engines and a water tanker to sit outside Chequers for President Trump’s visit.
“Firefighters and members of the public will rightly regard that as a cruel joke. The fire service exists to save lives, not to put on a show for far-right foreign leaders.”
In July, Trump visited Scotland for five-days and concluded his trip by opening a new golf course at his resort in Menie, Aberdeenshire.
During his visit, he had earlier stayed at his other Scottish resort at Turnberry in South Ayrshire, where he enjoyed several rounds of golf.
Trump also held a meeting and press conference with Sir Keir for bilateral talks on trade and the situation in Gaza.
Discussing a number of topics, the Republican Party leader spoke of his “great love” for Scotland and said he wanted to see the nation “thrive”.
He returned to his long-running objections to wind turbines, branding them “ugly monsters” and speaking of his admiration for North Sea oil and gas.
Discussing the war in Ukraine, Trump said he was “very disappointed” in Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested he would bring forward a deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire.
The US president called Sir Sadiq Khan a “nasty person”, which prompted Sir Keir to come to the defence of his “friend” the London Mayor.
A number of protests against the president’s visit took place around Scotland during Trump's time in the country.