Trump attack on London mayor is wrong, says No 10

Sir Keir Starmer believes Donald Trump's criticism of Sir Sadiq Khan is "wrong," Downing Street has said, after the prime minister faced calls to stand up to the US president.

Number 10's defence of the Labour London mayor came a day after it declined to criticise the president's attack on him.

Trump's latest comments in his long-running spat with Sir Sadiq came in an interview with Politico, external in which he branded the UK politician a "disaster" and "disgusting".

The prime minister's press secretary told reporters on Wednesday: "Those comments are wrong."

They added: "The mayor of London is doing an excellent job in London, delivering free school meals in primary schools, cleaning up London's air with the world's largest clean air zone and starting record numbers of council houses.

"The prime minister is hugely proud of the mayor of London's record and proud to call him a colleague and a friend."

Trump had also told Politico Sir Sadiq had been elected "because so many people have come in".

In response to Trump's remarks, Sir Sadiq told Politico, external on Tuesday that the president was "obsessed" with him and said "record numbers of Americans" were moving to London because the city's liberal values were the "antithesis" of Trump's.

"I think it is for President Trump to explain what he means by that," he said, adding that he had "no idea" why Trump was "so obsessed" with London's leadership.

Sir Keir was urged to tell the American leader not to meddle in European politics during Prime Minister's Questions.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the prime minister should tell Trump that "any attempts to interfere with our democracy are totally unacceptable", in relation to America's new security strategy.

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