World Bulletin / News Desk

Ignoring all diplomatic niceties, the convention-shredding US president set up the four-day visit with a rebuke of his beleaguered host as she battles to stop her government falling apart over Brexit.

Shrugging off the plans for mass protests, which on Friday will include a giant baby-shaped blimp bearing Trump's features, he said in Brussels: "They like me a lot in the UK. I think they agree with me on immigration.

"I think that's why Brexit happened," he told a news conference before flying to Stansted Airport north of London.

He said Britain was "a pretty hot spot right now with a lot of resignations".

"The people voted to break it up (Britain's ties with the EU)," Trump said.

"So I would imagine that's what they will do, but maybe they will take a little bit of a different route. I don't know (if) that is what they voted for," he added.

"I'd like to see them be able to work it out so it could go quickly." 

When asked about Trump's remarks, May said in Brussels: "What we are doing is delivering on the vote of the British people... that's what our proposal does."