Theresa May says being woman PM is a 'big statement' to Donald Trump

http://video.news.sky.com/video/h264/vod/700/2017/01/DIGI130909SUMAYTRUMP1485090954996700.mp4

Mrs May says she will not be afraid to tell the President when things are "unacceptable" as she prepares for talks.

By Zoe Catchpole, Political Reporter

The Prime Minister has said that when she sits down for talks with Donald Trump she will be making the "biggest statement" about the role of women in the world.

Theresa May will become the first world leader to meet the President when she travels to the US later this week for talks. She said she "won't be afraid" to tell Mr Trump when she finds things "unacceptable". However, she refused to be drawn on whether she would use the occasion to tackle him over his "misogyny" after protests by millions of women all over the world in the wake of his inauguration. Mrs May said: "I have already said that some of the comments that Donald Trump has made in relation to women are unacceptable, some of those he himself has apologised for... "When I sit down I think the biggest statement that will be made about the role of women is the fact that I will be there as a female Prime Minister, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, directly talking to him about the interests that we share." She told the Andrew Marr Show she was "proud to be only the second female Prime Minister that the UK has had", and added: "I will be talking to Donald Trump about the issues that we share, about how we can build on the special relationship. "It's the special relationship that also enables us to say when we do find something unacceptable." The Prime Minister had already condemned lewd comments made by the President in an interview with Sophy Ridge on Sky News earlier this month. On Saturday, women all over the world staged protests to make a stand for women's rights, including thousands who surrounded the US embassy in London and marched to Trafalgar Square. :: Dump Trump: Women of the world protest Mrs May indicated on Sunday that a free trade deal, NATO and defeating terrorism would all be on the table for discussion during her meeting with Mr Trump on Friday. She also said she would like to welcome the President to the UK later this year, although it would be for Buckingham Palace to confirm a state visit.

Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Conservative MP Anna Soubry said Mr Trump had a lot to learn from Mrs May. She said: "I think the fact that the first leader he meets happens to be a woman may make Mr Trump realise how you treat women with more respect, more decency than, unfortunately, he has shown in the past. "And he could learn a great deal from Theresa May. She has a very fine record in her tenure as home secretary on how you do the right thing by women. "She is certainly no pussycat." However, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called on Mrs May to directly tackle Mr Trump on his attitude to women. Also appearing on Sophy Ridge on Sunday, he said: "I would hope that when she meets Donald Trump she will in no uncertain terms tell him that his misogyny during the election campaign, the way in which he described Muslim people and others of different faiths, the way in which he proposes to build a wall between his country and Mexico, is simply not acceptable and not the right way of going forward." Mr Corbyn also warned the Prime Minister to be "extremely careful" in negotiating a free trade deal with Mr Trump, saying it could be unfavourable to the UK. He said: "The idea that Donald Trump is suddenly going to roll over and offer some trade deal with Britain that doesn't have strings attached, like investor protection where American companies can come in and run parts of our health service and be protected in doing so - I think she needs to be extremely careful."