Theresa May has made helping “Jams” – the just about managing families – a central tenet of her premiership. But she will use a jar of the real thing to bring a taste of Britain to the White House.



Downing Street said the prime minister would present a hamper of sweet treats from Chequers, her official country retreat in Buckinghamshire, to the new first lady, Melania Trump, on Friday.

Its contents will include Chequers apple juice, damson jam, and marmalade, as well as bakewell tarts and “cranberry and white chocolate shorties”.

Trump will also be presented with an engraved Quaich – a traditional Scottish drinking vessel. The new US president has well known Scottish roots, as well as owning golf courses in Scotland. No 10 said the engraved artefact was “a timeless reminder of the enduring Scottish values of friendship and hospitality”.

When Gordon Brown paid his first visit to Barack Obama in 2009, he presented him with a penholder, made from wood from the sister ship of HMS Resolute, whose timbers were used to make the so-called Resolute Desk, presented as a gift by Queen Victoria and still used in the Oval Office today. Obama reciprocated by giving him 25 DVDs.