Firefighters sound alarm over Donald Trump state visit after strain on crews

Firefighters will be deployed to Chequers for Donald Trump's state visit at a time when crews are stretched to breaking point, a union has warned.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) sounded the alarm over the strain on resources - and urged Keir Starmer to cancel the US President's lavish trip.

The King is hosting Mr Trump for an unprecedented second state visit next week, which is expected to be packed with pomp and ceremony.

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has emailed all staff offering overtime to provide fire cover for the visit.

It comes as the fire and rescue service is facing substantial cuts, across the country and in the local area, said the FBU.

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FBU General Secretary Steve Wright said: “ Donald Trump is a toxic, authoritarian billionaire who has waged a war on workers and the living standards of ordinary Americans, and enacted a brutal, racist anti-migrant policy at odds with basic humanitarian values.

“Rolling out the red carpet for him with an unprecedented second state visit was always a shocking move for a Labour government. "Now we learn that fire cover may be compromised to accommodate it. This could hamper response times and public safety.

“Keir Starmer must cancel this state visit.”

Chris Wycherley, FBU executive council member for the Southern region, said: “15 years of cuts mean the fire service is on its knees, and Buckinghamshire has spent all summer suffering a lack of resources.

"We have had wildfires, hot temperatures and low rainfall. Those conditions could well still be in place throughout September.

“We have now found that the service has been asked to deploy fire engines and a water tanker to sit outside Chequers for President Trump’s visit.

"Firefighters and members of the public will rightly regard that as a cruel joke. The fire service exists to save lives, not to put on a show for far-right foreign leaders.”

Keir Starmer handed over the invitation for the state visit to Mr Trump at the White House in February, as part of efforts to woo the mercurial US President.

The strength of their relationship has been credited for helping secure a trade agreement that protected Britain from the worst of Mr Trump's trade tariffs.

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