- Festive season spat between US and UK leaders reminds many of 2003 film
- In Love Actually, UK Prime Minister told US President to stop bullying Britain
- Twitter users urge Theresa May to follow example and stand up to Donald Trump
Film-lovers have compared Theresa May’s stand-off with Donald Trump to the famous Hugh Grant scene from Love Actually.
The Prime Minister’s office condemned the US President yesterday after he shared anti-Muslim posts on Twitter, prompting Trump to hit back at Mrs May online.
The war of words has been compared by many in the UK to the scene in Love Actually where a UK Prime Minister, played by Hugh Grant, criticises a US President, played by Billy Bob Thornton.
Online joker Susan Schafer wrote: ‘It’s Christmas time and the British PM is standing up to the American President. Except it’s not Love Actually this time, it’s real life.’
Twitter users have called on Theresa May to follow Hugh Grant’s lead in the film Love Actually
In the movie, the UK Prime Minister tells the US President to stop bullying Britain
Theresa May has said the US President was ‘wrong’ to retweet inflammatory far-right tweets
Britons urged Mrs May to follow the example of the film and stand up to the US President
Twitter user Sue Willsher added: ‘We’re having our very own Love Actually moment and I hope Theresa May stands firm against Donald Trump.’
In the 2003 Richard Curtis film, the UK Prime Minister, played by Grant, makes a speech attacking the US President after he makes inappropriate comments about his secretary, played by Martine McCutcheon.
When asked about the ‘special relationship’, Hugh Grant’s character tells the President: ‘We may be a small country, but we’re a great one too.
‘And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that.’
Scores of tweets compared the current stand-off to the spat in the 2003 Christmas film
British Twitter users urged Mrs May to follow the film’s example today.
Comedian Richard Herring wrote: ‘Watch Love Actually, Theresa May (I would never offer this advice to anyone usually). Blueprint of how to become most popular UK PM of all time.’
One wrote: ‘Theresa May needs to follow Hugh grants lead in love actually and stand up to the US president. We can’t have another Martine McCutcheon incident.’
Another added: ‘It’s Christmas. A perfect time for PM @theresa_may to give #POTUS the #LoveActually moment.’
Some tweeted memes of Hugh Grant dancing around Downing Street in another scene from the film.
Twitter was awash with patriotic Britons telling the Prime Minister to stand up to Trump
‘A bad relationship’: Hugh Grant’s full speech in Love Actually
When asked about the special relationship, Hugh Grant, playing the UK Prime Minister tells the US President, played by Bill Bob Thornton: ‘I love that word “relationship”. Covers all manner of sins, doesn’t it?
‘I fear that this has become a bad relationship; a relationship based on the President taking exactly what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to, erm… Britain.
‘We may be a small country, but we’re a great one, too. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham’s right foot. David Beckham’s left foot, come to that.
‘And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that.’