London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 11, 2026

John Bolton looks to freshen up U.S.-U.K. relationship with London trip

John Bolton looks to freshen up U.S.-U.K. relationship with London trip

The war-promoter and the US national security adviser's two-day visit will include talks with the new Boris Johnson-led government on trade and foreign policy.

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton arrived in the U.K. on Sunday for two days of talks with the new British government about more closely aligning the countries’ interests on global challenges, including Brexit, a rising China and tensions with Iran.

Bolton specifically plans to make the case for Britain to declare the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as dead, a senior administration official said. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal last year, while the U.K., Germany and France have worked to preserve it.

With freshly-elected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promising a U.K. withdrawal from the European Union by October 31, the U.S. is intensifying its preparations for such a move. Bolton’s trip to London is aimed at ensuring — and, where possible, enhancing — defense and trade cooperation between the two countries under the new government and a looming Brexit.

The White House hopes Trump’s close relationship with Johnson helps bend Britain’s approach on key foreign policy issues toward the president’s, the official said. Trump frequently speaks with Johnson, said the official, describing Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, as centrist and the new prime minister as center-right.

Bolton, who was invited to London by his British counterpart Mark Sedwill, is not scheduled to meet with Johnson, the senior administration official said. But the official said he does plan to meet with some of the prime minister’s top aides, members of Parliament, conservative political figures, the new defense secretary and a top official on international trade.

Trade negotiations between the U.S. and U.K. are focused on how quickly the two countries can achieve a comprehensive agreement, and whether they can make headway on individual sectors in the meantime, the official said.

He’ll also press for the U.K. not just to reduce but cut entirely its use of equipment from Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications company the U.S. has accused of being an arm of the Chinese government and a national security threat, according to the official.

The request comes as the U.S. is locked in an escalating trade war with China. The senior administration official said the White House is preparing for resumed talks with China in September but expressed doubt that Beijing is prepared to make significant commitments, such as stopping intellectual property theft and discrimination against U.S. businesses.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
English Councils to Gain Power to Introduce Tourist Taxes by 2028
Kemi Badenoch Reshuffles Conservative Shadow Cabinet
Firefighters Make Progress Containing Major Wildfires in South Wales
John Lewis Partnership Reports £124 Million Loss
Study Says UK AI Data Centres Will Create Only a Quarter of Forecast Jobs
UK Government Considers Higher Industrial Water Prices Amid Supply Pressures
Andy Burnham Holds First Call With Donald Trump as UK Prime Minister
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record as Heatwaves Drive Hospital Admissions
Home Secretary Orders Police Crackdown on Far-Right Anti-Migrant Vigilantes
UK Supreme Court Rules Northern Ireland Religious Education Curriculum Breaches Human Rights Standards
Markets Price in Four Bank of England Rate Rises by Next Summer
House of Commons Prepares Free Vote on Assisted Dying Bill
UK Government Bans Trade With Israeli Settlements in Occupied Territories
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Artificial Intelligence Investment Supports Expansion
Andy Burnham Becomes UK Prime Minister After Keir Starmer Resigns
John Lewis Partnership Loss Widens to £124 Million
UK Government to Put White Working-Class Social Mobility at Centre of Equality Policy
McLaren Plans £450 Million Technology Investment Creating 1,000 UK Jobs
UK Chancellor Faces Calls for Wealth Taxes and Public Ownership in Autumn Budget
English Mayors to Gain Powers to Impose Uncapped Overnight Tourist Taxes
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Government Against Bank Windfall Taxes
UK Air Traffic Control Outage Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
UK Imposes Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements in the West Bank
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as Middle East Tensions Push Long-Term Gilt Yields to Highest Since 1998
Buckingham Palace Says Prince Harry and Meghan Will Not Resume Official Royal Duties
UK Treasury Faces Calls to Scrap £100,000 Childcare Support Threshold
Trades Union Congress Urges Labour Government to Rewrite Migration Policy
Riot Police Deployed After Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent in Portsmouth
UK Considers Replacing Some Disability Cash Payments With Direct Services
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Chancellor Against Higher Banking Taxes
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Metropolitan Police Investigate Alleged Illegal Donations to Reform UK
UK Charges Wiltshire Man With Assisting Russian Intelligence
UK Orders Urgent Review After Air Traffic Failure Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
Merz Rebukes AfD Expansion in Saxony-Anhalt
King Charles Confirms Prince Harry and Meghan Will Remain Private Citizens
Labour Selects Former Child Refugee for By-Election in Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Foreign Private Equity Accelerates Takeovers of London-Listed Industrial Companies
NHS Maternity Care Faces Scrutiny Over Support for Mothers After Caesarean Births
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Likely Amid Job Cuts and Programme Cancellations
English Housing Affordability Improves to Best Level in More Than a Decade
UK Health Commission Proposes Framework for Wider AI Adoption Across NHS
Labour Faces Pressure for Wealth Tax Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Open Criminal Investigation Into Alleged Foreign Donations to Reform UK
UK Police Deploy Riot Officers After Anti-Immigration Unrest in Portsmouth and Dover
UK Defends Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Despite Diplomatic Retaliation
UK Air Traffic Control Failure Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights and Disrupts 65,000 Passengers
Compass Urges £10 Million Wealth Tax and Public Ownership Ahead of UK Autumn Budget
UK Government’s Devolution Plans Face House of Lords Scrutiny
Maldives Seeks New Chagos Sovereignty Talks With UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham
×