Boris Johnson held secret late-night talks with Donald Trump as he lays low ahead of election

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BORIS Johnson held secret one-on-one talks with President Trump at Downing Street last night – despite the PM trying to lay low in public ahead of the election.

The pair have yet to be snapped chatting to one another at the NATO meetings happening this week, but they held discussions behind closed doors yesterday instead.

Boris Johnson held one-on-one late night talks with Trump last night at No10

The PM wants to avoid being seen to be too pally with President Trump for fear his opponents could jump on it as an attack ahead of polling day next week.

Yesterday the President leaped into the election discussion by saying he could “work with anyone” but praised Boris as a “great guy”.

He also said that America wouldn’t want the NHS if it were offered to them “on a silver platter” – shutting down one of Jeremy Corbyn’s main attack lines.

“The prime minister met President Trump this evening at Downing Street, a No. 10 Downing Street spokesman said.

“They looked forward to tomorrows NATO leaders meeting and reflected on the importance of the alliance to our shared security.

The spokesman added: The leaders welcomed the recent increases in defence spending by NATO member states and agreed on the need for the alliance to be unified in the face of new and evolving threats.”

This morning Johnson said he had a “very good” bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump last night.

“We discussed the future of Nato, we discussed what is going on in Syria and various other matters,” he said as he arrived in Watford for high-level discussions with world leaders.

Boris heaped praise on the 70-year-old alliance this morning.

“One for all, all for one, that’s the core of the NATO security guarantee. It works,” he said.

“It provides peace and security for hundreds of millions of people, but we cannot be complacent.

“We continue to invest 2% of GDP on defence.

“We are taking NATO forward to develop the alliance and combat new threats in cyber space and space itself.”

Donald Trump arrives at the NATO summit in Watford this morning
All the Nato leaders and Royal in a photograph last night
she Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall meets US President Donald Trump and wife Melania at Clarence House
The Queen walking with Melania Trump in Buckingham Palace

Leaders are expected to have a family photo this morning ahead of discussions.

Boris Johnson, Nato boss Jens Stoltenberg and President Trump will have separate press conferences later this afternoon before the events wrap up.