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It’s always awkward when people flake on you, so spare a thought for the US ambassador right now. President Donald Trump was planning a visit to London next month, where he was due to open his country’s new embassy in Nine Elms. But now he’s decided he doesn’t fancy the trip, not because of concerns about a mass protest, but because the embassy is on the wrong side of the Thames:
Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for “peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 12 January 2018
The embassy move was actually okayed under George W Bush, but never mind about that: we’re more angry about him defaming the Wandsworth riviera. ‘An off location’? As any estate agent will tell you, Nine Elms is an up-and-coming area that’s brilliantly located for Battersea Power Station. It’s even going to be on the tube by 2020!
Anyway, Londoners being Londoners, loads of people have taken to Twitter to poke fun and suggest that while not wanting to go south of the river is maybe okay for black cab drivers, it’s a bit of a silly reason for Donald Trump to give London the swerve.
#ICancelledMyTripToLondon because they build staircases out of apples and pears. Structurally unsound!!
— Enough of That v2.018 (@AndyGilder) 12 January 2018
Because I found out that Clinton has a card shop there.#ICancelledMyTripToLondon
— Elric Cadwallader (@LifeOfElric) 12 January 2018
#ICancelledMyTripToLondon because it turns out there is a London in Ohio, much closer, smart!
— Creeping Naughtiness (@mellowshade) 12 January 2018
#ICancelledMyTripToLondon because Bigly Ben has bigger hands that I do.
— Rachel Delahaye Lefever (@RachelDelahaye) 12 January 2018
#ICancelledMyTripToLondon because there is no elephant at the castle and there’s no circus at Piccadilly! Fake places!
— Sporting Nest (@SportingNest) 12 January 2018
#ICancelledMyTripToLondon today because I’ve found out the Wombles of Wimbledon DON’T make the best use of the things that they find.
— Father Of Egon (@FatherOfEgon) 12 January 2018
Sad! pic.twitter.com/ZPFUGEsOTG
#ICancelledMyTripToLondon because I found out, from some very important people (I know the best people) that the “underground” is sometimes not. pic.twitter.com/7MQGFQF6YX
— [:mikefox] (@turbogeek421) 12 January 2018
#ICancelledMyTripToLondon because the Queen’s house doesn’t have enough gold. Sad! pic.twitter.com/bNNdylnuP4
— Alex #FBPE (@alexpiletska) 12 January 2018
On a more serious note, Sadiq Khan (who’s got a fraught history with Mr T) welcomed the cancellation. ‘It appears that President Trump got the message,’ the mayor said, ‘from the many Londoners who love and admire America and Americans but find his policies and actions the polar opposite of our city’s values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance.’ That’ll teach him to diss south London.
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