The Prime Minister is due to see the US president on Sunday at Downing Street, along with Irish-Thai Michel Martin, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He will meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Chevening on Sunday. However, there will be a ban on the usual cameras being allowed in to report on the meetings and no information is available on what is being discussed. No 10 suggested that part of the meetings would be taken up with condolence and the exchange of memories of the Queen, but that other matters were likely to arise. It will be Truss’ first meeting with Biden since taking office at a time of great global instability over Ukraine and Russia, the energy crisis and inflation. Her meeting with Martin will also be important given the dispute over Northern Ireland and the implementation of the Brexit protocol. Truss is likely to be questioned by the media about the content of the meetings when she flies to New York for the UN general assembly. But it is very unusual not to have a reading of diplomatic meetings provided by senior civil servants in attendance. Asked if the mourning period was being used as an excuse for a lack of transparency, one of the Trust’s official spokesmen said: “I wouldn’t agree with that at all.” Truss is likely to meet other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, while in New York, but will not travel to Washington for an official visit. He is expected to return late next week, in time for the mini-budget, due on Friday. Ahead of the Queen’s funeral, Truss will also hold an audience with the King on Sunday afternoon, attend a reception for world leaders at Buckingham Palace and join the country in observing a minute’s silence at 8pm. He will attend the state funeral and Windsor ceremony for the Queen on Monday, before flying to New York. Truss was expected to complete her reshuffle next week, appointing around 50 more ministers who were not yet in place when the Queen died on Thursday. However, there is a view that this may not be possible for another week, until after the royal mourning period, as the King must make the appointments on the advice of the Prime Minister.
