The Telegraph.cu.uk :
Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK is expected to be debated in Parliament after senior Conservatives joined more than a million people calling for it to be cancelled.
The petition calls for the visit, which is due to take place in the summer, to be abandoned because of the risk it will “embarrass” the Queen.
However, a Downing Street source has told the BBC that cancelling the trip would be “populist gesture” and “undo everything” achieved by Theresa May during her trip to the US last week.
Senior Conservatives joined Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, in calling for the visit to be suspended while Mr Trump’s controversial immigration ban is in place.
The internet petition quickly smashed the 100,000 signatures needed to be considered for a debate in Parliament, with at one point more than a thousand people signing each minute.
However Downing Street sources confirmed that Mrs May will not be
withdrawing her invitation to President Trump because it remains “substantially in the national interest”.
Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said that the visit “could not possibly occur” while the travel ban is in place. “State visits are designed for both the host, and the head of state who is being hosted, to celebrate and entrench the friendships and shared values between their respective countries.
“A state visit from the current president of the United States could not possibly occur in the best traditions of the enterprise while a cruel and divisive policy which discriminates against citizens of the host nation is in place. “I hope President Trump immediately reconsiders his Muslim ban.”
Mr Corbyn said Mr Trump’s state visit should be called off until he cancels the 90-day ban on citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen entering the US.
He said: “Is it really right to endorse somebody who has used this awful misogynistic language throughout the election campaign, awful attacks on Muslims, and then of course this absurd idea of building a wall between themselves and their nearest neighbour?”
He added: “I think we should make it very clear we are extremely upset about it, and I think it would be totally wrong for him to be coming here while that situation is going on. I think he has to be challenged on this.”
Labour MP Dan Jarvis said it was “very likely” there would be an urgent question in the House of Commons on Monday to discuss the travel ban.
Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK is expected to be debated in Parliament after senior Conservatives joined more than a million people calling for it to be cancelled.
The petition calls for the visit, which is due to take place in the summer, to be abandoned because of the risk it will “embarrass” the Queen.
However, a Downing Street source has told the BBC that cancelling the trip would be “populist gesture” and “undo everything” achieved by Theresa May during her trip to the US last week.
Senior Conservatives joined Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, in calling for the visit to be suspended while Mr Trump’s controversial immigration ban is in place.
The internet petition quickly smashed the 100,000 signatures needed to be considered for a debate in Parliament, with at one point more than a thousand people signing each minute.
However Downing Street sources confirmed that Mrs May will not be
withdrawing her invitation to President Trump because it remains “substantially in the national interest”.
Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said that the visit “could not possibly occur” while the travel ban is in place. “State visits are designed for both the host, and the head of state who is being hosted, to celebrate and entrench the friendships and shared values between their respective countries.
“A state visit from the current president of the United States could not possibly occur in the best traditions of the enterprise while a cruel and divisive policy which discriminates against citizens of the host nation is in place. “I hope President Trump immediately reconsiders his Muslim ban.”
Mr Corbyn said Mr Trump’s state visit should be called off until he cancels the 90-day ban on citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen entering the US.
He said: “Is it really right to endorse somebody who has used this awful misogynistic language throughout the election campaign, awful attacks on Muslims, and then of course this absurd idea of building a wall between themselves and their nearest neighbour?”
He added: “I think we should make it very clear we are extremely upset about it, and I think it would be totally wrong for him to be coming here while that situation is going on. I think he has to be challenged on this.”
Labour MP Dan Jarvis said it was “very likely” there would be an urgent question in the House of Commons on Monday to discuss the travel ban.
