British Prime Minister David Cameron has encouraged President Obama to leave the first lady at home during his trip to the United Kingdom for the Group of Eight summit in June.
British sources say Mr. Cameron’s decision to ban significant others is to ensure that leaders remain “focused” on issues such as tackling tax avoidance, The Daily Mail reports.
Officials say that though they can’t legally prohibit leaders from bringing their wives, they are hoping they can persuade them otherwise.
“The Prime Minister wants the G8 to be small, intimate and focused on the three issues of the day — tax, trade and transparency,” a spokesman for No. 10 Downing Street said. “Other issues, like the role of spouses at the G8, are yet to be confirmed.”
If the leaders comply, the likes of Michelle Obama and Valerie Trierweiler, girlfriend of French Socialist President Francois Hollande, will not attend the summit, being held at the luxury Lough Erne resort in Northern Ireland, The Mail reports.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Jessica Chasmar is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
The young drop coverage to avoid higher premiums
Independent voices from the TWT Communities

Join the Communities and submit your column in response to one written, or on something totally new and unique. We want to hear from you

Health care reform, organized medicine, physician practice management, and patient care--a real time look at the challenges facing doctors and patients in America today.