Yvette Cooper slammed for hypocrisy after awkward handshake with Trump

Yvette Cooper was accused of hypocrisy after greeting Donald Trump for his state visit despite her past criticism of him. The Foreign Secretary gave the US President a lengthy handshake as he disembarked Air Force One at London Stansted airport last night.

But critics took to social media platform X to highlight Ms Cooper's past comments about Mr Trump before Labour was in power. Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty said: "Yvette Cooper eagerly shook President Trump's hand on the tarmac as he arrived for his state visit. It's a long way from her persistent criticism of the President's first term when she was in opposition. Hypocrisy has become the thread that runs through this Labour Government."

Broadcaster Piers Morgan claimed Ms Cooper "clung to President Trump's hand like a sycophantic barnacle".

He said: "Yvette clung to President Trump's hand like a sycophantic barnacle for 11 SECONDS when he stepped off Air Force One last night. Time's a healer!"

During Mr Trump's first state visit to Britain in 2019, the Labour politician branded him "divisive, childish and destructive".

She wrote on X: "So appalled Theresa May has given this man a red carpeted platform to do this.

"Doesn't help Britain to be lavishing pomp on a President so determined to be divisive, childish and destructive.

"Doesn't help US or world to be gifting him a whole load of royal photo ops to use next year."

Her tweet was in response to Mr Trump branding London Mayor Sadiq Khan a "stone cold loser" as part of the part's ongoing war of words.

She also claimed Mr Trump was "normalising hatred and it's dangerous" as she gave a speech at the Fabian Society in 2017.