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The election campaign takes a back seat today as world leaders meet for the NATO summit.



The highlight, if that is the right word, will be a press conference with Donald Trump at 3pm.



This follows his impromptu forty-minute session with the media yesterday morning where he happily shared his views on everything from Prince Andrew to whether the NHS would be on the table in post-Brexit trade talks.



The problem with the President’s answers is you cannot believe a word he says, which is unfortunate if you happen to be someone who likes politicians to at least appear to be honest.



Mr Trump denied US firms were interested in gaining access to the NHS but then he also denied he had ever met Prince Andrew despite numerous photographs documenting their frequent meetings .

(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)





His comments on the NHS also fly in the face of official US papers showing that Big Pharma is seeking access to our health service.



The latest, revealed by my colleague Ben Glaze this morning , is a joint submission by the US Chamber of Commerce and Coalition of Services Industries that notes how the British market will be easier to crack because of our weakened status outside the EU.



By his standards, Trump was on best behaviour yesterday. He may not be so obliging to his hosts when he sees the video of Boris Johnson, Justin Trudeau and Emmanuel Macron mocking him at last night’s Buckingham Palace reception.

Trump’s presence in Britain has coincided with the release of the impeachment report by the House select committee on intelligence.



The panel found there is overwhelming evidence to impeach the President for misconduct in public office.



At one time the more honourable members of the Republican Party might have read this report and realised that upholding standards in politics was more important than party allegiance.



The modern Republican Party refuses to admit their President could have done any wrong and has gone out of its way to rubbish and smear the Democrat-led select committee.



(Image: PA)



We are seeing a similar undermining of the checks and balances on power from the Conservatives.



A little noticed section of the Conservative manifesto proposes a “constitution, democracy and rights” commission to examine the balance of power between the executive, parliament and the judiciary.



Many fear that this could see Boris Johnson take a sledgehammer to long-established conventions and reshape our constitution so that the executive is no longer bound by the courts.



This could be dismissed as scaremongering until you remember how this Prime Minister unlawfully prorogued Parliament, hides from media scrutiny and refuses to publish the report on Russian interference.

The right used to protect institutions and defend values.

Now they are trampling on both in their naked pursuit of power.