Trump was being a gentleman, UK's May says on holding hands

[March 21, 2017]  LONDON (Reuters) - Donald Trump was being a gentleman, British Prime Minister Theresa May said, describing when the U.S. president held her hand during her visit to Washington earlier this year.

In an interview with U.S. magazine Vogue, May played down the importance of the two leaders holding hands. "I think he was actually being a gentleman," she said. "We were about to walk down a ramp, and he said it might be a bit awkward."

May was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his inauguration as president, and her visit was hailed by her aides as a resounding success in cementing the "special relationship" between Britain and the United States.

But she has been criticized by opposition lawmakers for failing to take the U.S. president to task on contentious issues in order to win promises for future trade as Britain navigates its departure from the European Union.

"I like to think we got on," she told Vogue. "We don't comment on private conversations that take place. All I would say is, I've been very clear: I'm not afraid to raise issues. And the nature of the relationship is such that we should be able to be frank and open with each other."

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Stephen Addison)

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May signs a Swansea City deal during a meeting at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Ben Birchall/Pool