'Racist and mysogynist' Donald Trump shouldn't address parliament

Donald Trump should be barred from addressing parliament when he makes a formal state visit to the UK in June over his “racist views and misogynistic actions”, a senior Scottish peer has said.
Theresa May and Donald Trump at the White House during the Prime Minister's 2017 visit to the USTheresa May and Donald Trump at the White House during the Prime Minister's 2017 visit to the US
Theresa May and Donald Trump at the White House during the Prime Minister's 2017 visit to the US

George Foulkes has written to the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords, asking him to back the Commons Speaker John Bercow in opposing an address at Westminster by the US President.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Tuesday that Mr Trump and his wife Melania will be guests of the Queen during the three-day visit, which begins on June 3.

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It comes more than two years after Prime Minister Theresa May offered the invitation to the US leader just days into his presidency.

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The Prime Minister said Mr Trump's visit would be a chance for the UK and US to strengthen their "already close relationship".

But shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry condemned the visit, saying: "It beggars belief that on the very same day Donald Trump is threatening to veto a United Nations resolution against the use of rape as a weapon of war, Theresa May is pressing ahead with her plans to honour him with a state visit to the UK."

Mr Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Mrs May during the trip and take part in a ceremony in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, before both leaders attend further commemorations in France.

Mrs May said: "The UK and United States have a deep and enduring partnership that is rooted in our common history and shared interests. We do more together than any two nations in the world and we are both safer and more prosperous because of our co-operation.

"The state visit is an opportunity to strengthen our already close relationship in areas such as trade, investment, security and defence, and to discuss how we can build on these ties in the years ahead."

In 2017, Mr Bercow said addressing Parliament was "not an automatic right, it is an earned honour". The Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler distanced himself from the comments, saying he had not been consulted.

MPs and peers have previously been addressed by Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, and more controversially, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping.

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“Quite apart from the need to express concern about his racist views and misogynistic actions, I believe it would be a security risk and a logistic nightmare as well as an unnecessary expense.”

The US leader made a working visit to the UK last summer, when he met the Queen at Windsor Castle, which was also met with demonstrations.

A White House spokesman said: "This state visit will reaffirm the steadfast and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”