Trump live: President’s helicopter forced into diversion at end of UK visit

Donald Trump dodged questions over Lord Peter Mandelson’s links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during a press conference with Sir Keir Starmer yesterday.

Sir Keir sacked Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US last week after leaked emails showed the Blairite figure had supported Epstein after he was jailed for child sex offences in 2008. Though Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein after 2008 is well-documented, Sir Keir claims the former ambassador’s support despite Epstein’s conviction was materially new information.

The sacking threatened to be a sore spot for Trump’s state visit to the UK, given the US president’s own, previous relationship with Epstein.

And less than six months ago, Trump and Lord Mandelson were pictured holding hands in the Oval Office.

When asked about Lord Mandelson during the press conference at Chequers, however, referenced by Sky journalist Beth Rigby as “the elephant in the room”, Trump was evasive.

“I don’t know him… I had heard that and maybe the prime minister would be better at speaking of that,” he said.

A second migrant has been deported to France under the Government’s “one in, one out” deal as more small boats began making the dangerous English Channel crossing in the early hours of the morning.

An Eritrean man who lost a High Court bid to halt his removal was on a flight that left Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am on Friday.

Meanwhile in northern France, hundreds of migrants embarked on the Channel crossing early on Friday morning.

Among them a small child was seen wearing arm bands and a flotation device.

Cabinet minister Peter Kyle suggested the armed forces should remain focused on defence, after Donald Trump signalled during his state visit that military intervention could be used to deal with illegal migration to the UK.

The Navy can be called upon “if needed”, Peter Kyle said after Donald Trump suggested the military could be used to tackle illegal migration.

Asked about the US president’s claims, the Business Secretary told BBC Breakfast: “Well, what he suggested was the military are used, but we have the UK Border Force that is now established and has been reinforced and bolstered and have new powers under this Government.

“The Navy actually does have a working relationship with the UK Border Force, and the Navy can be called upon if needed.

“So we do have the functional relationship that we need between our military and keeping our borders safe and secure but what we really need at the moment is our military focused on all of those really key issues around the world, directly relating to our national defence.”

A helicopter carrying Donald Trump was forced to divert to Luton airport on Thursday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “due to a minor hydraulic issue” the aircraft carrying the US president landed at a “local airfield” while on route to Stansted airport.

She said the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution”, adding that the US president “safely boarded the support helicopter”.

Emergency services were seen at Luton following the landing.

The helicopter carrying the president is known as Marine One.

Mr Trump was travelling from Chequers with his wife, Melania, following a state visit to the UK.

At Stansted he boarded his plane Air Force One and departed for Washington.

The Independent’s Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

A lot could have gone wrong yesterday. From questions over the appointment of Lord Mandelson and Trump’s links with Jeffrey Epstein to criticism of the UK’s free speech laws, Trump’s state visit was certainly not a guaranteed success. And the stakes were even higher than normal for Starmer, given how difficult the last month has been for the UK PM, with the departure of both Lord Mandelson and his deputy Angela Rayner in the space of two weeks.

There were a few sticky moments, like when Trump told Starmer to call the army in to tackle migration, and he admitted disagreements over the recognition of Palestine. But Trump avoided any open berating of the UK, and glossed over questions on Mandelson and free speech – leaving the visit, overall, looking like a success story for the relationship between the Labour government the Republican administration in the states.