Boris Johnson set for first meeting with new US government

Boris Johnson has flown to New York for the British government's first formal face-to-face meetings with Donald Trump's administration.

Boris Johnson has travelled to the US for the British Government's first formal meetings with president-elect Donald Trump's new administration. Picture: Getty

Confirmation of the foreign secretary’s trip came only hours after Prime Minister Theresa May branded the US president-elect’s comments about women “unacceptable”.

It has been reported that Johnson met Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the incoming White House chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

On Monday, he is due to meet congressional leaders including the speaker, Paul Ryan, the chairman of the foreign relations committee, Bob Corker, and the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell.

Johnson, a leading member of the campaign for Britain to leave the EU, is likely to discuss the status of the “special relationship” between the two countries once Trump takes office and after the UK leaves the bloc.

The foreign secretary’s visit comes after two of the prime minister’s chiefs of staff, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, went on a private visit to meet members of the Trump team.

“Following the successful meeting last month between the prime minister’s chiefs of staff and president-elect Donald Trump’s team, Boris Johnson is undertaking a short visit to the US for meetings with close advisers to the president-elect and senior congressional leaders,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. “The discussions will be focused on UK-US relations and other foreign policy matters.”