Mike Pence and Boris Johnson want a ‘close relationship’
The UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has pledged to have a ‘close relationship’ with Donald Trump’s homophobic VP-elect Mike Pence.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence is set to become the most homophobic politician to enter the White House in recent history in January.
A hardline evangelical who has not supported a single LGBT reform across nearly two decades in politics, VP-elect Pence has one of the worst records on equality in recent memory. He has been integral in crafting the Trump administration’s anti-LGBT policy agenda.
However, apparently that didn’t come up when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson phoned Pence this week.
Of the conversation, Mr Johnson said: “Just spoken to US VP-elect Mike Pence. We agreed on importance of the special relationship & need to tackle global challenges together”.
Vice President-elect Pence said: “Just spoke to Boris Johnson. Discussed America’s longstanding and close relationship with the UK.”
Pence, the Governor of Indiana, stirred up international outrage last year when he signed Indiana’s controversial ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act’, giving businesses the right to discriminate against gay people on the grounds of religion.
Earlier this year appeared unable to answer when asked whether it should be legal to fire people because of their sexuality
Johnson’s comments are the latest sign of a warm welcome from the UK government to the Trump/Pence administration.
Prime Minister Theresa May has already been invited to Washington early into Trump’s term, and lavished praise on him in a statement.
May said: “I would like to congratulate Donald Trump on being elected the next president of the United States, following a hard-fought campaign.
“Britain and the United States have an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.
“We are, and will remain, strong and close partners on trade, security and defence.
“I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump, building on these ties to ensure the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead.”
Her comments stand in contrast to those of other world leaders, with Germany’s Angela Merkel putting Trump on notice with a barbed official statement, while Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon also repeated criticism of the billionaire President-elect..
