Donald Trump\u2019s foreign advisers say they have held \u201cproductive\u201d talks with the British government, indicating Downing Street may be preparing for the prospect of a victory for the Republican candidate in next week\u2019s US presidential election.<\/p>\n
According to one government minister, there had been a \u201cperiod of complacency\u201d<\/em> last month when it seemed almost certain Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton would win.<\/p>\n But the race to the White House has now tightened after the FBI disclosed on Friday it is examining 650,000 emails on a laptop used by an aide to Clinton.<\/p>\n \u201cThe tempo has picked up a lot,\u201d<\/em> the minister said.<\/p>\n George Papadopoulos, a London-based lawyer and foreign adviser to the billionaire property tycoon, told the Times he had held \u201cvery productive talks with representatives at the Foreign Office.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Sir Kim Darroch, Britain\u2019s ambassador to the US, reportedly has meetings scheduled with senior members of Trump\u2019s and Clinton\u2019s teams. His most pressing task is said to be identifying who is likely to take key roles in a Trump administration.<\/p>\n From a UK perspective, the two most important roles in Trump\u2019s set-up would be his national security adviser and who he would make responsible for policies on Europe.<\/p>\n Whitehall sources deny there has been a reassessment of Britain\u2019s approach to the election, saying they have sought to engage both sides ever since there were only two candidates left in the race.<\/p>\n