No British ministers at WEF but possibly Trump

Trump (left) and Johnson met recently at a NATO summit in England. But they are unlikely to meet again in Davos next month. Keystone

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has forbidden ministers from attending the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering of the global elite in Davos next month. 

After leading the Conservative Party last week to its biggest election win since Margaret Thatcher’s landslide victory of 1987, Johnson pledged to run a “people’s government” that would deliver Brexit and repay the trust placed in him by voters in former strongholds of his Labour opponents. 

“Our focus is on delivering for the people, not champagne with billionaires,” said a Downing Street source on Tuesday, referring to the annual gathering in the Swiss ski resort of politicians, business leaders and celebrities. 

The move echoes American President Donald Trump, who banned senior officials from attending Davos in 2017 shortly after he took office. 

Trump is coming 

Trump plans to attend the annual event in the Swiss AlpsExternal link which takes place from January 21-24, a source familiar with the plan said on Tuesday. 

The exact date of when Trump would participate was unclear. 

He had to cancel his trip to Davos this year due to a government shutdown. He attended the Davos forum in 2018. 

Davos may be one of the few foreign trips that Trump takes in 2020. He will be focused on his re-election campaign ahead of the November 2020 election and aides do not expect him to travel widely abroad.