Donald Trump and Theresa May in White House: Brexit boost?

When it comes to international relations and diplomacy, symbolic gestures matter.

The fact that British prime minister Theresa May will be the first foreign leader to meet officially with US president Donald Trump at the White House tomorrow sends a signal that the long-standing ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the US is intact.

That is hugely significant for Britain as a whole, and for the prime minster in particular, as she battles over Brexit and seeks to redefine her country’s relationship with the world and with the European Union in particular.

The meeting is also significant for the EU, given Mr Trump’s stated antipathy towards the world’s largest trading bloc.

If Ms May can reach a bilateral trading deal with the US to cut or even drop tariffs between the two countries, it will give her leverage in her negotiations with Brussels and allow her to demand that EU leaders give Britain a good deal.

That, in turn, will be good for us. While some commentators feel that we are likely to gain from a hard Brexit, the reality is that what is good for the UK will be good for Ireland.